


See The Fire In Your Eyes

by GaneWhoo



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, Cowgirls and Indians, F/F, Gun Violence, Guns, Gunslinger!Kara, Heavy Drinking, Heavy Plot, Implying of rape but nothing graphic or explicit, RDR2 inspiration, Rancher!Cat, Red Dead Redemption 2 inspiration, Slow Burn, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:08:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 94,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24552883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaneWhoo/pseuds/GaneWhoo
Summary: When Cat chose to move onto a remote homestead she thought she knew all of the dangers awaiting her: unforgiving weather, hostile landscapes, ruthless outlaws, and revengeful Indians.Along comes the most wanted gunslinger in the whole country, and now Cat’s family, and heart, have never been in more danger ...
Relationships: Astra/Alex Danvers, Kara Danvers/Cat Grant
Comments: 242
Kudos: 240





	1. CHAPTER 1

**Author's Note:**

> **WARNING :** Please, read **all the tags** before investing yourself in this fic. I'll probably be adding more as the story goes on but be aware that if you're looking for something fluffy and light, the story ahead is not for you.

The sun is barely hinting behind the Rockies when Cat steps on her porch, a steaming cup of coffee in her hand. The smell of fresh snow hangs in the cold morning air and when Cat inhales, it fills her lungs and burns her throat. Night had been casting its peaceful and quiet shadow over the world but now, the top of the mountains are aflame with the first rays of sunlight and it reverberates across the landscape, brightening it ever so slowly. 

A distant gunshot breaks the silence and Cat immediately tenses.  
Her hand tightens around her hot coffee while the other flies to her hip, fingers instinctively closing around the handle of her Colt. She waits, all her senses on alert, but nothing comes. 

Slowly, she moves her fingers away from her gun and closes them on the other side of her coffee cup instead. It warms them and she hums appreciatively but it still takes another five minutes for her to completely relax.

“Morning Mom,” Carter greets her with a yawn as he steps onto the porch next to her. 

He’s still half asleep, she can tell from the way his eyes are hazy and unfocused and from the slight slur in his voice. Some of his dark golden curls escape from underneath his winter hat.

“Good morning Sweetheart,” Cat replies with a warm smile. “You should put on a scarf, I think it snowed a little during the night.” 

Carter yawns again and nods before going back inside the house.  
A few minutes later, he returns with a black and red scarf tied around his neck, protected by the high-collar of his thick winter coat. He waves at her and steps down from the porch, already heading toward the stables.

“Be careful, Darling,” Cat calls after him, her heart tightening in her chest. “And do as Lois says!” 

Carter waves above his head but doesn’t turn around.

\---

She’s halfway back from National Creek when one of her carriage wheels breaks. The sudden loss of balance nearly sends her flying into the nearest ditch, but she somehow manages to stay on the driver’s seat.

The brutal move startles the horses, making them rear, and in the panic, one of them breaks free. The animal escapes its hold and disappears into the forest, too fast for Cat to be able to do anything and she swears, loudly. 

“God damn it!”

A chuckle echoes from behind her. Instantly, she reaches for her Winchester rifle. She swiftly turns around and aims the weapon at the rider approaching on the road. It’s a lone silhouette, still too far away for Cat to discern anything. 

“Move along,” Cat orders, not in the mood to play games. 

She knows this part of the forest is dangerous, ridden with bandits, gunslinger gangs and a few indigenous tribes with a vendetta against all white people. 

The silhouette stopped the moment Cat aimed her rifle.  
It’s still hard to see anything with the distance in between them but Cat has the distinct impression the lone rider is a woman. The large black hat and the warm, thick navy blue winter coat with flaps that protect the legs don’t give much away and Cat reaffirms her hold on the rifle. 

“Easy Ma’am. I mean no harm, I’m just passing by …”

The voice is one of a woman and Cat feels just a tiny bit relieved about it. Still, she doesn’t lower her weapon.

“You seem to be in a delicate situation here,” says the woman and she slowly gestures toward the wheel laying in the middle of the road. “Can I offer you some help?”

“No thanks,” Cat retorts. “I’ll manage.” 

The woman chuckles again. 

“Fierce, I see. I respect that. Can I at least ride after your horse, bring it back to you?” 

Cat hesitates for a moment. She’s invested quite a lot of money into those particular horses and she knows she can’t afford to buy a new one. 

“What’s your name, stranger?” Cat asks, slowly lowering her rifle but keeping it at the ready.

“Kara, ma’am. My name is Kara … Danvers.”

The slight pause before the last name doesn’t go unnoticed but Cat decides to let it go.

“Alright, Kara,” Cat replies, the name feeling a bit foreign on her tongue. “You can run after my horse, thank you for offering.”

“Sure thing, ma’am,” Kara nods and she urges her horse forward. 

She takes a detour to circle around the carriage, keeping her hands where Cat can see them. Once she’s on the right path, she races into the forest and disappears after Cat’s horse.

\---

She’s just put back the wheel when she hears the sound of hooves beating down the road. Two different sets of hooves, she notices.  
It’s not long before Kara reappears, the runaway horse following after her own.

“Found him in a clearing, a few miles away,” Kara explains as she stops, at a reasonable distance once again. 

She dismounts her ride and raises her hands before approaching the carriage, holding the reins of the runaway horse out. 

The first thing Cat notices are the long golden locks, falling on broad shoulders. They glow underneath the dim winter sunlight and bounce every time Kara takes another step. She’s a young woman with sharp features that are sometimes broken up by more childish ones, like her chin and her cheeks, still pink from having raced in the wind. Her eyes are as blue as a summer sky but something tells Cat they could easily darken like a stormy ocean. She has a scar near her right eyebrow, a tiny white dent in her otherwise surprisingly tanned skin. 

“Thank you, Kara,” Cat says as she grabs the horse and guides him next to his companion. She quickly fixes the harnessing and then returns to the driver’s seat. “You have a good day, now.” 

“You never told me your name,” Kara inquires, a flash of curiosity sparkling in her baby blue eyes.

“You don’t need it,” Cat replies with a tiny smirk of her lips.

She raises a few fingers to her hat, a gesture meant as a goodbye, and then presses her horses on. 

Before she disappears around the next curve, she glances back over her shoulder and notices Kara’s still standing in the middle of the path.

\---

“Kara, you said?” Lois asks, pouring herself a glass of whiskey. “What did she look like?”

Cat helps herself to a portion of stew before sitting down in front of Lois, finally ready to enjoy her late supper.

“She seemed … young,” Cat starts, getting started on dinner. “Long blond hair, a sharp face ... with some remnants of her childhood to it, blue eyes …”

The way Lois narrows her eyes sets Cat a little on edge.  
She’s glad Carter is sound asleep in his bed and not around for this conversation.

“Did she have a scar above her right eye?” 

“She … did, as a matter of fact. Do you know her?” Cat arches a surprised brow, a little thrown off by the sudden worry in Lois eyes. 

“Everyone does, Cat,” Lois grabs the bottle back and flips the top off before raising it to her mouth. Cat opens her mouth in protest but Lois just glares at her and she decides against it. 

“Your Kara is in fact Kara Zor-El, leader of a gunslinger gang called Kryptonite. They’ve been terrorizing people all across the country for a few years now,” Lois eventually explains, her voice laced with anger. “Their ‘wanted’ posters are plastered literally everywhere, Cat, how did you not recognize her!” 

Cat shrugs and thinks back on the girl who ran after her horse and brought it back. 

“She didn’t look at all dangerous,” Cat muses, helping herself to what’s left of the whiskey. “She offered her help and brought back the horse, it’s all that matters to me. Why are you so angry anyway?” 

Lois doesn’t reply right away. The look on her face is one of loss and longing, regret.

“She’s responsible for Luce’s death,” Lois eventually answers, finishing her glass of alcohol in one big gulp. “They never found her body, God knows what they did with it …”

Cat doesn’t know what to say. 

She knows Lois never got over the news of her younger sister’s death but she’s having a hard time reconciling the woman who helped her that afternoon with the leader of a gang who killed and murdered their way across the whole country for years. 

“They’re ruthless, Cat,” Lois insists. “They’re worse than some of the men’s gangs who hang in the state, be careful. If you ever see her again, don’t think. Shoot.”

“What? No!” Cat protests, shaking her head. “I’m not going to kill someone who’s done nothing but help me.”

“Cat, she’s the most wanted criminal in the country. You’d be doing everyone a favor,” Lois retorts, her eyes ablaze with anger and grief. “She doesn’t deserve to live.”

“Maybe not, but I won’t be the one to kill her, even if given a chance. I don’t kill in cold blood,” Cat states and her voice is sharp and low, signaling that she won’t tolerate any rebuttal.

Lois seems to get it because she only shrugs and mutters something under her breath Cat doesn’t get. 

She lets it slide.

\---

The snow gives the world a strange yet magical glow.

The land disappears underneath a perfectly white coat and everything is quieter than usual. Snowflakes are falling from the heavy, low grey sky and gently swirl in the air around them as they make their way back to the ranch. 

Their horses are slow but steady, their hooves crunching the snow and leaving a muddy trail behind them. Theirs is the only trace of any human presence in the woods. 

Carter’s smiling like the child he once was and it warms Cat’s heart. 

“Do you think Lois will play in the snow with me, when we get back?” Carter asks, the quiet wonder in his voice betraying his own doubts. “She’s been very moody, ever since you returned from your last trip to town.”

Cat sighs and steadies her horse as he tries to climb over a snowed hill. 

“I don’t know, sweetheart. It’s … complicated,” Cat replies, not knowing what to tell him. 

“I’ll ask, anyway,” Carter smiles and Cat wonders how her own son can be so optimistic sometimes. “The worst I can get is a no.” 

Cat nods and smiles back at him. 

They’re progressing slowly, making their way around the naked trees and small but dense bushes peppering the landscape. The silence around them is only troubled by the sounds of their horse’s steps and occasional neighs. 

Suddenly, a flock of birds flies off into the sky near them and the sound of their flapping wings disturbs the relative peace of the world. 

“Carter, move behind me,” Cat orders, already pulling her Colt out of its holster. She quickly checks it’s loaded before closing it, ready to aim at whatever it is that has disturbed the birds. “Get ready to run, if I tell you so.” 

Carter obeys without a fuss and holds back his horse to be able to step behind his mother’s. He’s putting on a brave face but the alarmed look in his eyes and the way his horse keeps pushing against the tension on the reins tells Cat he’s panicked. 

Something whistles in the distance and it takes Cat a split second to recognize the sound. 

“Get down!” Cat yells, following her own order.

Carter instantly does as he’s told. He jumps down from his horse and rolls further away in the snow, right as an arrow speeds above them. It makes a quick, dull sound when it plants into a tree, a little further down from where they came. 

Carter’s horse rears into the snow and then races away. Cat’s ride, a little less skittish, rears and paws the ground but doesn’t run. Cat quickly grabs the reins and hands them to her son.

“Run back to the ranch, Carter,” Cat hurriedly says as another arrow flies nearby. 

Carter’s eyes are wide and full of raw panic but he shakes his head. 

“Mom, no, I can’t …”

“That’s an order. Hurry!” Cat cuts him off and helps him onto her horse. 

There’s too much snow and her horse is already tired, he won’t make it far with the both of them on his back. She’s made up her mind and tries not to think about the look of utter terror in Carter’s eyes.

She gives a slap on her ride’s ass and sends her son away, trying not to think about the fact it might be the last time she sees him. 

The horse rears again and then starts off into the forest, in the general direction of the ranch. The snow slows his pace and she can see the struggle but Carter is urging him faster and it only takes a minute before their silhouettes disappear in between the trees. 

Cat hides behind a tree and grips her Colt a little harder. She also brushes the snow off her coat with her free hand, preparing to face whoever has been shooting arrows at them.

Snow has started to really fall upon the land, with thick snowflakes this time. They dance in the air and form a blurred curtain that doesn’t help Cat’s already low visibility.

Still, she risks a glance.

Shadows are moving between the dark, naked trees. They’re fast and steady, organized. Cat counts at least ten but she’s certain there are more. She doesn’t have enough bullets to face the situation, not with the bad weather and the fact she still has to make it back to the ranch. That is, if she manages to survive this ambush. 

Arrows suddenly start flying in the air, cutting it with their characteristic whistle before landing in the snow, all around her spot. She feels the trunk of the tree she’s hiding behind vibrate when a few arrows land in it.

_Indians _, Cat thinks, glancing at the blue feathers on the arrows scattered all around her. _Inze.___

__She knows this specific tribe of Indians holds a grudge against all white people for having invaded and stolen their lands, killing them in the process. Their reputation for violent revenge was the main reason Cat almost didn’t move to the ranch._ _

__She’s faced some Inze before but never as many as this and not with so little ammunition._ _

__Suddenly, the arrows stop coming._ _

__For a moment, everything is quiet again.  
The snow keeps falling, unperturbed, upon the already white land and nothing breaks the peace that seems to settle in. _ _

__Until voices pierce through the white curtain, shouting in that strange language Cat associates with the Inze. As far as Cat can tell, only women are talking, or rather yelling._ _

__One of the voices sounds oddly familiar to Cat. It makes her frown. She doesn’t know anyone who could so easily speak to the Inze, or any tribe really._ _

__More shouting occurs and she briefly wonders if she could escape unnoticed while the Indians argue. She risks a glance again but the snow is too thick for her to discern anything. She only sees shadows and a few horses but it’s all blurred and unfocused._ _

__She’s starting to get really cold, especially with snow melting inside the collar of her coat and rolling down her back. She has to make a move._ _

__One hand secured around her Colt, she takes a tentative step out from her tree’s protection._ _

__An arrow whistles and then disappears into the snow, inches away from her foot.  
She instantly retreats back behind the tree._ _

___Message received_ , Cat internally mumbles. _ _

__The yelling becomes louder and as far as Cat can tell, angrier. The language is very different from English, the inflexions are slower but sharper, sometimes sounding like the crack of whip. One of the women seems really hell-bent on something.  
It’s that voice, Cat can’t quite put a face to, she’s heard it before she knows it._ _

__It takes a moment but eventually, the voices all fade. Cat doesn’t know if the Indians have left but she’s not ready to leave her tree’s protection and have an arrow end up in her body to find out._ _

__“You can come out now.”_ _

__That voice. Cat closes her eyes and tries to remember where she’s heard it before but nothing comes to her mind._ _

__“Who are you? You sound … familiar,” Cat eventually retorts, still hiding behind the tree. She knows better than to listen to a stranger, especially in these woods. “I’m not coming out. For all I know, it could be a trap.”_ _

__A chuckle answers her and that sound, too, is oddly familiar._ _

__“I didn’t spend so much time arguing with the Indians to leave you alone just so I could kill you myself.”_ _

__Cat doesn’t miss the heavy sarcasm lining the woman’s tone, laced with annoyance and a hint of amusement. It bothers her that she can’t seem to recall who the woman is._ _

__“Do I know you?” Cat asks again, tightening her cold fingers around the handle of her Colt._ _

__“Not exactly,” The woman says and the sound of crushed snow tells Cat she’s moving._ _

__Eventually, the woman circles around the tree and Cat instantly aims her gun at her._ _

__She’s holding her hands up and stops at a reasonable distance from Cat. Still, she’s close enough for them to see each other's eyes through the falling snow._ _

__“I keep finding myself held at gunpoint with you …” Kara smirks, her sparkling blue eyes shining with amusement. “Keeping you out of trouble is a full-time job, it seems.”_ _

__Cat arches a brow at that._ _

__“See, this is very funny coming from one of the most wanted people in the whole country …” Cat sasses back, keeping the barrel of her weapon aimed at Kara. “Isn’t it, Kara Zor-El?”_ _

__A shadow darkens Kara’s baby blue eyes and her smile disappears._ _

__“My reputation precedes me, I see,” Kara retorts but this time around, her tone is not amused. “Which means you have a choice to make.”_ _

__Cat frowns but doesn’t answer. The gun in her hand is starting to feel heavy and the cold makes her fingers shake, ever so slightly._ _

__“Either you keep your pride and try to make it out on your own or, you can accept my help and I’ll drop you wherever you want to go,” Kara states, slowly lowering her hands as she speaks. “Night is only a couple hours away and no one should stay in these woods alone past sundown. Especially not a woman.”_ _

__The idea alone sends a shiver down Cat’s spine.  
She’s heard tales of women disappearing; whose bodies have been found weeks or months later, in such states it suggested death was the only mercy they got. She knows she can’t survive in the woods alone at night._ _

__“I’ve helped you before and you’re still alive, aren’t you?” Kara adds and there’s something almost earnest in the way she looks at Cat._ _

__“I didn’t know who you were, back then …” Cat replies but despite her warriness, she slowly lowers her weapon. “Now I do.”_ _

__Kara looks torn for a moment. There’s sadness and resignation in her slightly hunched shoulders but the determined gleam in her baby blue eyes is stronger, sharper. It’s what’s holding Cat in place, with her gun still in hand._ _

__“My reputation is … exaggerated,” Kara says but she seems to regret the words the moment they leave her mouth. “I’m your only option, though.”_ _

__Cat hates to be cornered but she has to admit Kara is right._ _

__“How did you find me, anyway?” Cat asks, moving away from her tree to get closer to the gunslinger. “Do you just happen to roam these particular lands?”_ _

__“There’s a lake, further up in the mountains,” Kara replies, turning around to lead the way. “I was coming back from it when I saw a fully harnessed horse racing through the trees. I caught it and then followed the tracks back here.”_ _

__Sure enough, Carter’s horse is waiting next to Kara’s ride._ _

__“Let’s not make a habit of it,” Cat snaps, approaching her son’s horse._ _

__“A habit of? Me saving you, you aiming a weapon at me or me bringing horses back to you?” Kara retorts, looking amused. She then shakes her head. “This horse is injured, don’t ride it.”_ _

__As Carter’s horse tries to get closer to her, Cat sees that he’s indeed avoiding putting weight on his rear right leg. It causes him to limp a little. She pats him on the neck and murmurs some gentle words to him before turning to face Kara._ _

__Kara’s extending a hand to her, from atop her horse._ _

__Cat notices it’s an unusual ride for a gunslinger. It’s a tall, massive and very muscular grey horse with a black mane and tail. This particular animal seems more fitting for heavy tracting than races and fast escapes._ _

__“Fine horse,” Cat muses, eventually accepting Kara’s help and letting herself be hoisted in front of the gunslinger. “Not exactly what I pictured for a bandit like you.”_ _

__“What did you picture then?” Kara asks, urging her horse on. She holds the reins a little loose and glances back at Carter’s horse to make sure he can keep up._ _

__“A smaller horse, lighter, faster,” Cat retorts, rolling her eyes._ _

__She doesn’t know what to do with her hands so she hides them beneath the front of her coat. The body behind her is incredibly warm, solid. It’s a strange yet comforting sensation.  
Kara smells like snow and wind, with just a hint of peppermint. It’s a little dizzying. _ _

__“Don’t judge Kal on his look, he’s faster than you think. He’s also more resistant and has more stamina than those smaller, lighter and faster horses you speak of …” Kara replies with a chuckle and her breath lands in Cat’s hair, making her shudder. “Where to?”_ _

__The question makes Cat pause. She doesn’t know if she can just give her address to the leader of the Kryptonite gang but so far, Kara has been nothing but helpful._ _

__“Head south on the main road for a few miles and then turn to the east. A couple miles more and we’ll arrive at The Grant Ranch,” Cat sighs. “You should leave me at the main gates, if you want to avoid getting killed.”_ _

__“Uh?”_ _

__“My best friend says you murdered her sister,” Cat explains, trying to hide how uncomfortable she feels. “I have no doubt she’d kill you on the spot, should you ever cross her path.”_ _

__Kara doesn’t say anything to that and for a long while, the only sounds to break the silence come from the crushed snow under the hooves and the few neighs the horses let out._ _

__They’re finally turning east at Cat’s signal when Kara asks._ _

__“What was her name?”_ _

__“Who?”_ _

__“The woman I supposedly killed … What was her name?” Kara clarifies, her voice heavy and low._ _

__“Lucy. Lucy Lane,” Cat replies after a beat._ _

__Silence settles back around them and Cat doesn’t push._ _

__Night is starting to fall when they finally approach the main gates of Cat’s ranch. Kara holds her ride and helps Cat down before handing over the reins of Carter’s horse._ _

__Their fingers brush when Cat takes the reins from Kara’s hand and the contact is surprisingly warm, soft._ _

__“I still don’t know your name,” Kara smiles, the blue of her eyes sparkling almost abnormally in the very dim light of the falling day._ _

__Cat pauses, but for just a second. The least she can do after the whole scene in the woods is give the woman her name._ _

__“Cat,Cat Grant.”_ _

__Kara’s smile widens and something in Cat’s chest warms._ _

__“Have a nice evening then, Miss Grant,” Kara raises two fingers to the tip of her hat and turns her horse around._ _

__It’s not long before she disappears under the falling night, behind a curtain of snow._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi folks!
> 
> Long time no see, right?
> 
> I hope you liked this first chapter of the infamous RDR2 (Red Dead Redemption 2) AU I've been working on for about four months already. 
> 
> A couple things you need to know about that story :
> 
> \- This is a work of **fiction** , a pure figment of my imagination based on both the show Supergirl and the video game Red Dead Redemption 2. My portrayal of the Indians is **not based on History**.  
> \- I don't have a specific period of time in mind for this story and the country is totally fictive too but you can always refer to that [ map](https://www.breakflip.com/uploads/AAA/Rockstar%20Games/Red%20Dead%20Redemption%202/LT/rdr2-red-dead-redemption-2-carte-map-full-complete.jpg) if you want to have a general idea. I only changed some of the places' names.  
> \- I mentioned something about **rape and trauma** in the tags. It's **not graphic and it's not explicit** but just to be extra cautious, I will put up the appropriate trigger warning before every chapter in which it appears.  
> \- I will add **more tags and characters** as the story goes, I just don't want to reveal too much of the plot beforehand. You're in for some surprise!  
> \- I'll be updating **every two weeks** , on Friday. 
> 
> I also talk a lot about my fics on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/GaneWhoo) if you want to follow me there but I also have a dedicated tab on my [Tumblr](https://lost-your-memory.tumblr.com/tagged/RDR2-supercat-AU). 
> 
> For those of you who played the game, you probably recognized the title but for the other, here's the [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHer-rGfTco).
> 
> Many many thanks to my amazing and incredibly talented beta for all the help, the constant support and the infinite patience. This story wouldn't exist without you. 
> 
> On that note, enjoy !
> 
> _Reviews are always nice_  
> 


	2. CHAPTER 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING :** blood and injuries

“We really have to stop meeting like this, Miss Grant,” Kara lets out through gritted teeth with her hands in the air, once again. 

Cat lowers her weapon and smirks.

“What’s with the attitude today, Kara? You look angry …”

“You don’t say,” Kara retorts, dropping her arms and quickly looking over her shoulder. When she focuses back on Cat, she looks a little alarmed. “I gotta go, Miss Grant.”

Hooves beating the ground echo in the distance behind Kara. Several horses are approaching and judging by their fast-paced rhythm, the riders are after something. 

Or someone, Cat thinks. She takes in the tension in Kara’s shoulders and the adrenaline sparkling in her baby blue eyes.

“Hop in and hide,” Cat orders, gesturing towards the back of her covered wagon. 

The brownish canvas around it is dripping with melted snow but Kara doesn’t ask twice. She runs to the end of the carriage and climbs in. Cat hears some rummaging, a few crashing sounds and then nothing, so she figures Kara must have found a spot to hide herself.   
Cat cracks her whip, hurrying the horses along to a slow trot.   
The path beneath the wheels and hooves is brown with mud and slush, it’s slowing them down. Cat can see how the horses struggle to keep their balance while moving at such a pace.

“Hey there! Stop!” 

A rider races past the carriage and puts himself in the middle of the road, forcing Cat to brutally pull on the reins to stop her horses.

“What the hell?!” Cat yells, grabbing her Winchester rifle and aiming it at the man in front of her. “Move along or I’ll shoot.”

More riders join the one in the middle of the road and some of them have their guns in their hands, at the ready. She counts six men, all heavily armed. They’re all wearing the same navy-blue long winter coat and their hats are black.

“Ma’am, please lower your weapon,” says the one who stopped in front of her first. 

His mid-length, light brown hair almost reaches his shoulders and his features, sharp and straight, remind Cat of a bird of prey. He’s raising his hands but Cat recognizes the shotgun hanging on his back.

“We are looking for the gunslinger Kara Zor-El, you probably saw a few ‘most wanted’ posters of her back in town …”

“Who the fuck are you?” Cat asks, not lowering her weapon despite the fact she’s outnumbered.

“I’m Maxwell Lord and these are my companions. We’re bounty-hunters,” Maxwell says, an easy grin gracing his lips. He looks a little too smug for Cat’s taste and she instinctively reaffirms her grip on her weapon.

“Bounty hunters don’t work well in groups, especially not one as large as this,” Cat points out, unimpressed. “I’m pretty sure it goes against all the implicit rules of the profession. Are you gonna share the money, too?”

The dark and annoyed gleam in Maxwell’s eyes doesn’t escape Cat. 

“Did you see her or not?” 

“No,” Cat replies but she can tell he doesn’t believe her. He frowns and glances at the wagon behind her.

She tightens her grip on the rifle again and adds “She’s one of the most wanted people in the whole country, she’d be pretty hard to miss.” 

One of the men moves his horse and comes to stand next to Maxwell, leaning in to whisper something in his ear. They talk for a few seconds before Maxwell straightens on his horse and focuses back on Cat.

“Alright, Ma’am,” Maxwell says, looking slightly angered. “If you ever see her, hide. She’s a really dangerous criminal.”

“Or I could just shoot her myself and earn some money,” Cat retorts immediately, smirking when she sees the angry grimace on some of the men’s faces. “Don’t worry though, I don’t have any time to waste. Now move along.” 

It takes a moment for Maxwell to actually obey and she can see the conflict in his eyes. He’s thinking of something and she doesn’t like it.

Eventually though, they all scatter away and Cat uses her whip once again to get the horses moving, at a slower pace this time. 

A few miles away, when she’s sure she’s not being followed, she calls for Kara.

“You can come out now, they’re gone.”

Kara emerges from her hiding spot a few moments later and joins her on the driver’s bench. 

“Thanks,” Kara smiles, seemingly amused. “For hiding me, but also for the entertainment back there.” 

“How come you’re still hanging around in these woods with half the world trying to collect the bounty on your head?” Cat asks, turning an unimpressed glare at Kara. “Aren’t you some kind of nomad or something?”

Kara’s eyes flash with sadness but it goes away quickly. 

“One of my friends is … unwell,” Kara explains, her tone neutral and quiet. “I’m sticking around until …”

She trails off and Cat understands. 

“I’m sorry,” She says and she means it. 

She doesn’t offer more platitudes but instead drives in silence.

“Time for me to go,” Kara eventually says as they approach Cat’s ranch.

She hops off the driver’s bench in one fluid jump and then raises two fingers to her hat.

“Thanks again, Miss Grant.” Kara says as she walks away, her boots sinking in the muddy snow with every step she takes.

“Will you be alright, by yourself?” Cat calls, unable to stop herself. 

“Don’t worry about me, Miss Grant. I can take care of myself,” Kara laughs and before Cat can come up with a sassy retort, she’s disappeared into the woods.

\---

The stars are alight tonight, twinkling in the perfectly blue-velvet night sky.  
The moon, almost full, casts a silver glow on the snow covered landscape and everything seems frozen into some kind of fairytale haze. Ice patches here and there are reflecting the moonlight and it bounces onto the sparkling snow all around.

It would be a really soothing view, if Cat wasn’t so consumed with panic and anxiety. 

Lois and Carter were supposed to be back hours ago. 

She’s pacing her living room, circling around the wooden coffee table like a trapped animal. Her mind is racing with every worst case scenario she can come up with and there are many. Too many.   
All she can see is blood, so much that she can almost smell it. She imagines a pack of wolves ripping bodies apart, and she can almost hear their howls. She pictures bandits dragging her best friend’s naked body in the snow at the end of a rope, can feel their laughter vibrate against her chest while they make Carter watch.   
She can tell she’s losing contact with reality, going crazy with uncertainty and worries, terror even. 

A loud, very loud, banging against her front door pulls her out of her trance and she rushes to it, almost tripping on her feet in her hurriedness. She doesn’t even think about getting her gun before she pulls the door wide open.

The sight that greets her is not one she expected.

There’s Carter on the left, looking a little lost and in shock but seemingly unharmed. 

On the right, however, Kara Zor-El looks terrible.   
Her golden locks are damp with melted snow, mud and blood and her face is showing various injuries, most of them spilling out blood as well. Her usually tanned skin is already turning purple in some spots and her eyes are a little glazed. 

She’s also holding an unconscious Lois Lane by the waist.

\---

It’s hours later when Cat finally forces Kara to sit down on a chair near the fire so she can take a look at her injuries.

Carter’s fast asleep in his bed, safe and sound while Lois is dozing on the couch, in Cat’s line of sight. 

“What happened?” Cat asks, pressing a clean, damp cloth against Kara’s forehead. She gently wipes off the dirt and the blood, careful not to irritate some of the biggest scratches and splits. 

“They got ambushed by the Inze,” Kara replies, keeping her voice low to avoid waking up Lois. “I was almost … too late, but your friend is one hell of a fighter.” 

Cat glances back at Lois, whose light snores form a regular background noise. She feels a surge of love and gratitude for her best friend.

“She held them off long enough for me to get the young lad to a safer place,” Kara adds, sounding impressed. There’s the shadow of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips..

“You … went back for her?” Cat asks, delicately cleaning Kara’s bruised jaw. 

Kara winces, but doesn’t make a sound. Cat rinses the cloth and starts again, reaching with her other hand to keep Kara’s face in place. The skin is warm underneath her fingertips, soft.

“I did, yes,” Kara whispers, pain flashing through her eyes as Cat presses a little too much on a sensitive spot. 

Cat slowly lifts Kara’s chin to be able to study the split on her lower lip and the big gash that mars her right cheek. Now that her face is mostly clean, the injuries are standing out and it’s really not looking good.

“Don’t move, I’m going to get some supplies to fix you up,” Cat orders and Kara nods, slowly.

Minutes later, she presses a whiskey imbibed gauze against Kara’s skin and this time, Kara whimpers. 

“Why?” Cat asks but the confused look in Kara’s eyes makes her clarify. “Why did you go back for her? I warned you she’d kill you on the spot if you ever crossed paths …”

Kara doesn’t answer. 

For a little while, the only sounds come from the splintering wood in the fire, Lois’ snores, and the few whimpers Kara lets out when the pain is a little too much. Cat’s gentle but firm, determined. 

“I’m not … who she thinks I am,” Kara eventually whispers, eyes intent on Lois’ silhouette. 

“Meaning … what?” Cat pushes, brushing some of Kara’s hair away as she disinfects another split on Kara’s temple. 

“I didn’t kill her sister,” Kara explains, a little louder this time. “I know I have … quite the reputation, I’m not denying it. It is true that I have killed, more than once even. Only, I did it for self-defense or to protect someone else.” 

Kara’s voice is low but sure, dripping with honesty. There’s earnestness in her baby blue eyes, the flames of the fire reflecting and dancing in the sparkling irises. Cat hums noncommittally and finishes patching up Kara’s face.   
She stitches back the gash on the cheek and checks that nothing else needs sutures before rummaging around her wooden box to find a small pot. When she opens it, a pungent smell assaults their senses and Kara scrunches her nose, looking very skeptical.

“It’s a medicinal balm that helps with bruises,” Cat explains, gathering some mixture on the tip of her fingers. 

She reaches for Kara’s jaw with her free hand and holds it in place again, while she gently applies the balm on the other side. She keeps her movements slow and delicate and after a little while, Kara relaxes under her fingers and closes her eyes.

“Thank you, Miss Grant,” Kara mumbles, sleep seeping into her voice. “I should get going, though. There’s been enough trouble in your house for one night, no need to bring more.”

“You are not going anywhere, Kara Zor-El. I didn’t spend the past hour fixing you up so you could go back into the cold and rip it all open,” Cat threatens, brandishing a finger in front of Kara’s face.

“But I’m not …” 

“No buts. Come along,” Cat orders and she helps Kara up before leading the way to the second floor. She’s pleased when she hears footsteps behind her, it means the gunslinger is following her without further protest.

“You can sleep here for the night,” Cat explains, opening a door on her right and entering the room. “There’s some old clothes in the chest by the bed, if you need to slip into something more comfortable.” 

Kara’s eyes are wide and a little confused and in this moment, it’s hard to believe she’s the infamous leader of a gunslinger gang.

“Uh, thank you, Miss Grant,” Kara manages to say and Cat pauses by the door.

“No, Kara. Thank you, for saving my son and my friend’s lives,” Cat replies and she tries to convey how grateful she is into her tone and her eyes. “I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well.” 

She closes the door behind her after that.

\---

“Mom?” Carter calls from the living room before bouncing into the kitchen. “Where’s the woman who helped us yesterday?”

Cat looks up from the cup of coffee she’s been staring into for the past hour and arches a surprised brow.

“In the guest room, I suppose? I all but ordered her to stay and sleep in a real bed for the night …”

Carter looks dejected and he drops his teenage body into the chair in front of her. 

“Then she’s already left, she’s not in the room anymore and the bed’s made …” Carter sulks, looking really disappointed. 

Cat can certainly relate. She can’t explain why but she’d have enjoyed having Kara around for a little longer. 

“Why the long faces?” Lois asks, stumbling in and taking a seat at the table in between Carter and Cat. Her own face is showing various bruises and some scratches, all already healing but she looks exhausted.

Cat stands up and pours her friend some coffee before putting a plate of scrambled eggs and toasted bread in front of her son. 

“The woman who helped us yesterday, she already left …” Carter mumbles around a bite of eggs before chasing it with half his glass of milk.

“Eh,” Lois shrugs and takes a sip of her coffee. Cat waits for the threatening comment that usually follows any mention of Kara Zor-El in the house but nothing comes. 

“She went back into that messy fight to get you out,” Carter speaks again a little later. “She was all alone against about thirty bloodthirsty Indians and she still managed to come out on top, carrying you back to her horse on her shoulder ...”

“We get the idea, kid,” Lois cuts him off, throwing him a meaningful glare. 

Carter only shrugs and finishes his breakfast before exiting the kitchen, the sound of his footsteps fading back into the living room.

“She says she didn’t kill your sister,” Cat states after a little while, her eyes intent on her friend. 

Lois doesn’t react at first. She simply sips at her coffee while avoiding looking into Cat’s eyes. It takes another moment before she sighs.

“I’m realizing that, yeah,” Lois nods, looking torn. “She didn’t have to come back for me. Hell, she didn’t even have to intervene in that whole mess in the first place but she did. She saved Carter and then she saved me. I’m guessing …”

Lois trails off and finishes her coffee before pouring herself another cup.

“I’m guessing there’s more to her story. Someone like her, willing to save two strangers from the Inze without expecting anything in return … She probably didn’t have anything to do with Luce’s death.” 

“Damn. It’s like pulling teeth, apparently …” Cat sasses, smirking when Lois throws her an angry glare. “I understand, Lois. She was someone to be angry at and now, you don’t know what to do with all that anger.” 

“You know me so well, it’s a little scary sometimes,” Lois groans but she raises her cup in a silent toast and Cat understands. “I still think she knows something about Luce’s death. I was hoping to catch her this morning, so I could ask.” 

Cat nods. “Maybe next time.”

The knowing look in Lois’ eyes tells her she didn’t quite manage to hide the hopefulness in her voice.


	3. CHAPTER 3

The sun, high up in the sky, is bright and shining but not close enough to provide any warmth. The air is cold and crisp. It burns their lungs, and their breath is coming out in little puffs of condensation as they walk along the barely existent path.

Carter’s ahead, happily whistling while guiding his horse next to him. Lois and Cat are right behind him, walking next to each other with their own rides following.

“Fishing,” Lois mumbles. “We’re taking him fishing, in the middle of January. The only thing we’ll catch is a disease … or an icicle.” 

Cat rolls her eyes.

“Would you quit being so grumpy? It makes him happy, that’s all that matters to me,” Cat retorts, waving at Carter in front of them. He returns the gesture and then focuses back on the path ahead. 

“Why can’t he be happy with hunting? It’s closer to home, at least …” Lois whines and Cat lightly punches her friend in the arm. Lois lets out a fake painful yelp and then relents “Fine, fine. Fishing it is ...”

They finally reach the top of the small mountain and Carter stops, waiting for them. 

The view below is breathtaking. 

Tucked in a valley of white, the lake sparkles and glows, sunbeams bouncing on its surface and trembling with the few ripples that break the water from time to time.   
It looks both peaceful and alive, especially with the azure of the sky brightening everything.

“Whow,” Carter breathes, sounding awed. “It’s beautiful.”

Lois nods and the smile on her face is genuine and wide this time around, no hint of mockery or annoyance.

“You got a point there, kid.”

“Shall we?” Cat asks and Carter nods, slowly guiding his horse down the slope of the mountain, heading for the lake. “Careful, the path is slippery. Mind the ice, Carter.”

“Sure Mom,” Carter replies, slightly annoyed. 

“Teenagers,” Cat grumbles under her breath, making Lois laugh.

“Come on, grumpy, let’s follow him,” Lois says, clicking her tongue to urge her horse on. “I’m surprised the lake isn’t frozen, given the low temperatures and the amount of snow surrounding it.”

Cat looks down at the water and notices some smooth patches on the surface. The sun isn’t reflecting on it like it does on the water, it seems to absorb the light instead of making it bounce. 

“I think the water is a little too choppy for it to freeze; and given how sunny the days have been lately, I’d say it kept the ice away …” Cat muses, studying the moving ice patches on the water. “If you look closely, you can still see some frozen patches though.”

Lois loses herself in her contemplation and Cat simply relaxes, enjoying the fresh air and the sunbeams on her skin.

\---

They’ve been fishing for a few hours when Carter suddenly points to the nearest hill. 

“We’ve got company,” Carter says, sounding more curious than alarmed.

Cat looks up and then slowly reaches for her rifle, noticing Lois doing the same a few steps away. 

High up on the hill, a group of riders are moving against the perfectly blue sky, indistinct dark shadows with the sun at their back. 

“I count six horses, so far,” Lois says, coming to stop next to Cat. “They don’t look dangerous but we can never be too careful these days …” 

A shout echoes in the distance and Cat tightens her hold on her weapon. The small group has stopped atop the hill and doesn’t seem interested in coming down, but they’re still too close for her liking, it bothers her.

Eventually, one of the riders detaches themself from the rest of the group and slowly descends the hill. From time to time, the horse almost disappears into the shadows of the falling day but Cat keeps her eyes peeled on it the whole time.

It’s only as the horse comes closer that Cat recognises it. 

She instantly relaxes her grip but doesn’t let go entirely.

“What, no weapon aimed at me this time? Are we making progress, Miss Grant?” Kara teases, her smile bright and wide as her horse steps back into the sunlight and then stops at a reasonable distance.

She’s wearing a shorter, waist-long coat this time, deep-brown and with a thick woolen lining that shows around the collar, beneath her red scarf. 

“It would appear so, yes,” Cat replies with a smile of her own. 

She’s a little wary because there’s still five other riders on the top of the hill behind Kara. She can also sense that Lois is not exactly feeling amicable towards the unexpected visitor. Carter, on the other hand, seems ecstatic.

“It’s you! You were the one to save us from the Indians, a while back!” Carter greets Kara, already walking up to her. 

The move startles Kara’s horse and causes him to take a few steps back. Kara smoothly dismounts and ties the reins to the horn at the front of her saddle. She then waves him away and the horse takes off to go wander near the lake. 

“In person, young man. You can call me Kara,” Kara turns back to face Carter and extends a hand, a soft smile gracing her lips. “I believe you’re … Carter Grant, right?”

“Yeah, that’s me!” Carter retorts, sounding all too enthusiastic as he shakes Kara’s hand. “Thanks again for saving us, we wouldn’t have made it out alive without you.” 

“Humpf,” Lois groans next to Cat. 

It’s loud enough that both Carter and Kara turn their head to look at her, slightly surprised. 

Kara tenses and slowly raises her hands. The gesture confuses both Cat and Carter; it’s only when Cat notices Lois’s fingers, closed around her gun at her hip, that she understands.

“Come on, Lois. She doesn’t deserve this,” Cat intervenes, placing herself between her friend and the gunslinger. 

“It’s alright, Miss Grant,” Kara calls from behind her. “I understand.” 

“Do you, now?” Lois sasses, voice low and slightly threatening. She keeps her hand on her gun as she walks past Cat to approach Kara. “I have … a few questions for you.”

Cat comes to stand next to her son and she throws an apologetic look at Kara, who only nods in return. 

“You can lower your hands, I won’t shoot you,” Lois eventually adds, removing her hand from the handle of her Colt but keeping it close. “I just want to … understand.” 

Kara nods again and slowly puts down her hands.

“I figured, yeah” Kara glances back over her shoulder, looking up at the riders atop the hill. When she focuses back on Lois, her eyes are darker and neutral. “You believe I killed your sister. I didn’t.” 

Lois grits her teeth but Cat reaches out and squeezes her forearm, urging her to stay calm.

“Yeah, given how you went out of your way to save me and Carter, I’d say you’re no killer. At least … Not a cold blooded one.” Lois explains, narrowing her eyes at Kara. “Still … You were there, the day Lucy was killed. Witnesses, several of them, recognized you. You were in the house, that day, before it burned.” 

Cat releases her friend’s arm and stays quiet next to Carter.   
The tension in the air is thick, heavy. Palpable. So much one might say it could be cut with a knife. 

“I was there, yes,” Kara finally replies, a shadow darkening her eyes for a moment. 

“Your sister … She once hid me in her attic for a few days, years ago. I was being chased by Maxwell Lord and his merry gang of bounty hunters and I was very, very ill at the time …” Kara explains, voice low and slow but clear. “She found me one evening, passed out in her garden. She didn’t have to but she picked me up, fed me, healed me. When Maxwell and his men came, she hid me and lied to them.”

Lois doesn’t interrupt but the gleam in her eyes is intent, sharp. She’s listening and memorizing every word, Cat can tell.

“She wasn’t alone in the house back then. She had several workers doing some heavy repairs around the living room, the kitchen and the porch. I think it’s what stopped the bounty hunters from coming in to sack the house and search for me. Too many witnesses.”

Kara glances again over her shoulder. 

The riders atop the hill are being highlighted by the lowering sunlight and their weapons shine and sparkle. They don’t seem to be deciding to move though, much to Cat’s relief.

“I stayed for almost a week and then, thanks to your sister’s kindness, I was able to be on my merry way,” Kara starts again, looking even more somber. “Three weeks later, in another town, I heard some people talk about Maxwell and his men and how they got their hands on one of your sister’s workers. I know the man, and I know how he gets his intel. I may not be a cold blooded murderer, but he is.” 

Carter subtly steps closer to her and Cat leans against his shoulder. She knows she can’t protect him from what’s coming but she wants to make sure he knows she’s there. 

“I almost killed my horse riding back to your sister’s place. I arrived just in time to see Maxwell and his men run away but the house was already burning down, the walls crumbling in flames and the roof was gone,” Kara says, voice breaking ever so slightly. “People were running back from the fields, from the stables and some workers were trying to stop the fire from spreading around. I was already a ‘most wanted’ person and it didn’t take long for people to recognise me and accuse me of being responsible …”

Tears are streaming down Lois' face but she doesn’t move. She doesn’t even blink. Cat doesn’t know what to say, how to react.

“That’s not the end of my story, though,” Kara says and this time, her voice is a little louder. 

Something sparkles in her eyes, something Cat can’t identify.

She raises her right hand and presses her thumb and her middle finger together before putting them in her mouth, letting out a loud and long whistle.

Behind her, the riders suddenly come alive and start moving.  
The horses scatter as they descend the slope of the hill but gather back again as they reach the flatter ground. They approach behind Kara in rank, all walking at the same pace, and then stop, keeping some distance between them and their leader.

In the rapidly falling daylight, it’s getting too dark to properly see them.

“See, your sister’s house was located atop a hill under which an old mining tunnel was once dug. It was abandoned, because whoever decided it would be a good idea to dig that close to a river was either very drunk or very stupid or both …” Kara explains, gesturing for one of the riders to approach before focusing back on Lois. “Point is, your sister knew that and she had a few selected workers dig a secret passage from her basement to that tunnel. When I left her, it was almost finished but not quite, they couldn’t reach the tunnel yet.”

Behind the gunslinger, a shadow is slowly making their way to them.   
The silhouette is small and almost frail, which makes Cat think it’s a woman. There’s a slight limp to her steps but she’s still too far away for Cat to make out her features. 

“When I saw that I was being surrounded, I ran away and waited until it was dark before riding to where the tunnel started, a few miles away from the house. Underground, I walked all the way back until I reached the domain and that’s where I found her,” Kara finishes, stepping away to make room for the newcomer.

The woman has short brown hair that curls around her delicate but sharp features. Her skin is of the same darker shade as Lois and her eyes, of a soulful green, are sparkling with life. 

“Lucy?” Lois asks, disbelief echoing in her voice as she steps forward, reaching a trembling hand out. “You’re … alive …”

“I’m sorry, Lois,” Lucy softly replies, grabbing her sister’s hand and pulling her in for a tight hug. “I wanted to find you as soon as Kara healed me but I didn’t know where you were and I didn’t want Maxwell Lord to find out that I was alive … I had to hide. I’m so sorry.”

As Lois dissolves into a sobbing mess in her sister’s arms, Kara slowly walks away to give them some privacy and Cat tugs Carter along to do the same.

“Carter, would you mind starting a fire?” Cat asks, turning to face her son. “It’s getting late and we should start setting up the camp …”

“Sure thing, mom,” Carter replies before wandering away to their horses.

Cat keeps an eye on him for a few seconds before she looks back at Kara. The gunslinger is smiling softly at the sight of Lucy and Lois hugging and talking.

“Thank you,” Cat murmurs, fighting against her own tears.

“Don’t thank me, Miss Grant. I only did what was right,” Kara retorts with a shrug. “I’m just glad I was able to save her, she was in really bad shape when I found her. She’d fallen from quite some height in her rush to get to the tunnel and she’d lost consciousness … I’m just really happy I found her in time.” 

“Stay with us tonight? Your friends are welcome too, we’ve caught enough food for a regiment today,” Cat offers, gesturing to the riders in the shadow. “I assume Lois will want more time with her sister …”

Kara looks torn. There’s longing in her baby blue eyes, strong enough to make Cat’s heart ache.

“I don’t know,” Kara eventually replies, sounding deeply sorry. “You heard Lucy’s story, you know what happens to the people who associate with me. You have a son, Miss Grant. I don’t want to put him, or you, in any danger, not if I can help it.” 

Cat desperately wants to protest. She’s drawn to the gunslinger in a way she can’t explain and the mere idea of staying away from Kara doesn’t sit well with her. Still, Kara has a point.

“Stay for dinner, at the very least? No one has to know, we’re all alone here,” Cat insists, trying not to sound too hopeful.

“I …” Kara hesitates. Cat tilts her head, waiting for her answer. She knows she’s won when Kara shakes her head and relents. “I suppose we can stay and eat fish, yes.” 

Cat smiles, a little smug, and Kara only rolls her eyes.

\---

“Miss Grant, meet my sister, Alex Danvers,” Kara smiles, gesturing to a woman with short brown hair and deep chestnut eyes. “Alex, this is Miss Grant and her son Carter.” 

Carter looks awed and enthusiastically shakes Alex’s hand when she extends it.

“Pleasure to meet you, Miss ...”

“Call me Alex,” Alex replies, sounding a little gruff but with a smile on her lips. 

She doesn’t look at all like Kara, Cat notices. She’s a little smaller, has freckles on her nose and cheeks and she also seems a lot less inclined to trust them. Cat doesn’t miss the few inquisitives glances thrown her way, the way Alex keeps her in her line of sight, and the twitchy fingers that always fly to her gun at any sudden move. 

Another woman comes to stand with them and offers her hand. 

“I’m Eve, pleasure to meet you both!”

She looks absolutely out of place, Cat thinks. Her long and wheat-blond hair bounces with every move she makes, she has fairly pale skin, pink lips, glazed blue eyes and a very pronounced accent. Everything about her screams Southern belle; she’s only missing the dress.

“Nia, come say hello,” Kara calls, gesturing to another woman who’s coming back from the edge of the forest with wood in her arms. She drops everything by the fire and then bounces toward them, a wide smile on her lips.

“Hello! Kara spoke quite a lot about you, it’s nice to finally meet you,” Nia says and she all but hugs Carter, taking him by surprise. Cat narrows her eyes at her the moment she releases her son and extends a hand, making it clear there will be no hugging with her.

“How many people do you have in your gang, Kara?” Cat asks, looking around the makeshift camp that’s bursting with life and movement. 

“A lot,” Kara evasively answers and Cat doesn’t insist. “It’s supposed to be an all women gang but we made an exception, as you can see.” 

A man, who earlier introduced himself as Winslow, is setting up grills above the fire and preparing the fish. He’s quiet but his face is welcoming, with a shy smile and bright eyes lightening his features. 

On a wooden trunk in front of him, Lucy and Lois are catching up, sat very close to each-other. From time to time, Winslow speaks and makes them both smile but he’s usually silent, content to just be in charge of dinner.

“We need more wood, I’m going back in,” Nia announces and Eve instantly offers her help. 

Carter asks to join them and, after a slight hesitation, Cat nods, choosing to trust the women in Kara’s gang.

“I’m going to take a look at the horses,” Alex grumpily states, already walking away.

“She’s not the trusting type, that sister of yours …” Cat mumbles, eyes following the older Danvers as she goes. 

“She’s seen some ... things,” Kara shrugs. “We all have and we all deal with it in our own way.”

Cat hears the losses and tragedies beneath Kara’s casual tone. It’s written in between the words she says, heavy and light at once, forever imprinted in her soul. Cat idly wonders who the gunslinger truly is, when all those responsibilities are pushed away, when she can lower her emotional burden and just be herself. 

“She doesn’t look like you,” Cat tilts her head and plunges her gloved hands in the pockets of her coat.

“We’re not … blood related,” Kara says and her tone tells Cat she won’t expand on this particular topic. “I’m going to go help Alex with the horses.”

Kara stalks off and Cat watches her disappear into the night.

\---

Dinner is a lively affair.

Winslow turns out to be very funny, much to Cat’s surprise.   
He’s witty, smart and Lucy, who’s holding her sister’s hand on her lap, actively banters with him. It makes for hilarious exchanges. At some point, Carter falls off the trunk with laughter while Eve and Nia are holding onto each other to try to avoid suffering the same fate. 

Even Alex is smiling and it changes her whole face. She looks more approachable now, less gruff and harsh. There’s still a warry gleam in her soulful brown eyes but Cat thinks it’s fair. 

From time to time, Alex leans to the side to whisper something in her sister’s ear but Kara’s face never gives away her emotions. She smiles sometimes, when Winn says something particularly funny or when Lucy’s comeback is even funnier, but it’s quiet, dimmed. It’s not the wide smile Cat saw more than once, the one that creates dimples on each side of Kara’s mouth, the one that makes her eyes shine like a thousand stars in a cloudless night sky. 

“The world didn’t treat them too kindly,” Eve whispers next to her. 

Cat didn’t hear her coming and she startles a little but Eve doesn’t comment on it. She sits down on the cold ground next to Cat and glances at the Danvers sisters. 

“They’ve been on the run for a long, long time, those two,” Eve explains and there’s a depth to her tone that makes Cat wonder what she’s witnessed. “They could have escaped to an island somewhere, just the two of them. I think Alex has wanted to, at some point. It’s Kara, who refused to leave her country. She … took us in. All of us.”

The flames of the fire create a strange effect on Eve’s face, like a battle in which bright, orange hues fight against the darkness of the night. She looks different, not so Southern Belle anymore.

“I was … trapped, in an abusive marriage,” Eve whispers, a little lower. Cat strains her ears to hear her above the joyous laughter and the crackling of the campfire. “One day, Kara stopped by my house and politely asked for a glass of water. I didn’t know who she was, back then, so I invited her in and offered her a warm meal, I could tell she’d been on the road for a while already.”

Carter falls off the trunk again and Lucy gently mocks him, seconded by Lois and Winslow. It’s light, easy. Cat smiles at the spectacle.

“She saw the … bruises,” Eve continues and Cat’s heart aches for the woman next to her, with the easy smile and the soft eyes. “She saw the gashes, the splits, the burn marks, everything. She asked about it and I tried to lie, like I always did. She … knew. She just knew and she talked to me. She said it wasn’t normal, that it wasn’t right, that no one should ever raise a hand to me.”

Eve lets out a dry chuckle. 

“My husband … he came home early that night, Kara was still in the living room. He got terribly mad and tried to hit me. She intercepted his hand and punched him in the face, broke his nose and split his lip. He tried to hit her and she defended herself. At some point in the fight, he fell and his head hit the corner of a table. It killed him on the spot.”

Cat recalls how Kara once said she never killed for sport, only to defend herself or other people. 

“She said she would offer her condolences but that it would be wasted on such a piece of horseshit. She stayed around for a while; helped me bury him. Then I sold the house, left everything behind and ever since, I’ve been with Kara. I’ve never regretted it,” Eve finishes with an affectionate smile.

“I’m … so sorry such horrible things happened to you,” Cat says after a few minutes of silence. “I’m glad you found Kara.”

“I didn't find Kara,” Eve smiles and stands up. The look in her eyes is intense when she meets Cat’s. “She found me.” 

After that, Eve returns to her spot next to Nia.

\---

It’s long after Carter went to sleep, in his own tent, when Kara signals for her gang to get ready to leave. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay the night? You could sleep by the fire,” Cat asks again, despite knowing full well Kara will refuse. 

“Thanks for the offer, Miss Grant, but we gotta go,” Kara replies with a gentle smile. 

Winslow is already gathering back their few belongings while Alex is bringing the horses by. Eve and Nia bid their goodbyes to Lois and Cat before climbing onto their respective horses, already walking away from the little group. Once Winslow has fastened everything on his saddle, he says his farewells and joins the ladies.

“I don’t understand, why are you going back with them?” Lois asks, sounding hurt and angry. “I just got you back, I’m not ready to let you go again.” 

Kara’s face closes off instantly, eyes dark under the dim light of the reduced fire. 

“It’s not something I can explain, Lois. Not in a way that will make sense to you, anyway,” Lucy replies and she sounds really regretful, almost sad. “I’ve been with them for years now, ever since Kara rescued me. I’m not leaving them.” 

“What about me?” Lois accuses, recoiling under her sister’s words. She breaks away from her sister’s hold, as if the physical contact suddenly burns her. “For fuck’s sake, I’m your family, Lucy! I’m your actual blood!”

Lucy looks on the verge of tears but she still shakes her head and steps back.

“I’m sorry ... I’ll come visit you, if you let me, but I’m not going home with you. I belong with them, now, they’re my home,” Lucy says, voice breaking as she turns away to hide her tears.

“This is all your fault,” Lois spits, focusing back on the leader of the gang. Her eyes are throwing daggers and if looks could kill, Kara wouldn’t be alive right now. “You did this!”

“Lois, come on,” Cat tries to intercede but Lois raises a hand, keeping her at arm’s length. 

“Don’t step into this Cat, I’m warning you,” Lois states and it’s clear it’s not just words in the air, she means it. “You’ve been defending her for far too long and I’ve had about enough of it!”

Kara doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t move, not even when Lois’s fingers fly to her gun and close around it. The next instant, a Colt is aimed at her and Kara slowly raises her hands, her face unreadable.

“Lois! She’s saved your life,” Cat tries to remind her friend, starting to feel really anxious about the whole situation. “I know you, you’re no killer. Come on, lower your weapon!”

“I’d suggest you do as your friend says,” Alex’s voice echoes from behind Lois. She raises her own gun and pushes the barrel of it in between Lois’ shoulder blades. “Drop it.”

“Lois, please,” Lucy pleads, moving to step in front of her sister. She reaches both her hands and closes them around Lois face, holding it in place as she whispers. “I love you. You will always be my sister and I will always be yours, that will never change. I’m just choosing to live with them, can you respect that?” 

Lois hesitates and for a moment, Cat thinks all hell is about to break loose. 

Lois finally relents and opens her hand, letting her gun drop to the ground.Then, she wraps both arms around her sister and hugs Lucy as tightly as she can. 

“I don’t understand,” Lois starts, voice hoarse and filled with sadness. “I don’t, but I respect your choice. Stop by the house one day, we’ll … talk.”

Lucy sighs with relief and nods against her sister’s shoulder.

“I will. I love you, Lois,” Lucy repeats, pulling away with a smile on her face. Lois doesn’t return the gesture but she nods, letting Lucy go.

“I won’t apologise,” Lois grumbles when her eyes land on Kara, who stayed put. “I don’t like you but you saved my life and you took care of my sister, so that grants you some sway.”

“Oh really,” Kara sasses, rolling her eyes before handing over the reins of Lucy’s horse. “The feeling’s mutual, by the way.” 

Cat groans and crosses her arms over her chest, her heart still racing from the adrenaline of the whole near missed drama.

“Children. You’re acting like children”, Cat states, glancing in between Kara and Lois. “Behave, both of you. Now, safe travels Kara, be careful.”

Kara arches an amused brow and Cat can feel there’s a witty comeback on its way.

“Why, are you worried about me, Miss Grant?”

“With the increasing number of people aiming a gun at you these days, someone definitely should be worried…” Cat retorts without missing a beat, sarcasm lining her voice. 

To everyone’s surprise, Alex laughs at that.

“That’s … well said,” Alex chuckles, sending a nod toward Cat. 

Cat doesn’t smile but something warm settles in her chest.   
It feels as if she’s been approved, somehow, and after a whole evening of being scrutinized she can certainly appreciate the change. 

“Let’s go,” Kara cuts in, turning around to climb onto her horse. 

Lucy follows suit and Alex steps away from Lois to return to her own ride. The two women say goodbye and leave, disappearing into the night.

“Be safe, Miss Grant,” Kara says, raising two fingers to the edge of her hat as a goodbye.

Something in her eyes sparkles and gleams and Cat suddenly realises she’s going to miss her. The realisation hits her out of nowhere and she blinks in surprise before recomposing herself. 

“You too, Kara,” Cat replies, swallowing her feelings and waving the gunslinger off.

Kara nods and presses her horse on, joining the rest of her gang in the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello folks,
> 
> I hoped you enjoyed this new chapter, I'm unveiling some important stuff for later! 
> 
> Also, if you like the fic, feel free to leave a kudos, a comment or to reblog it on Twitter and Tumblr! It's always helpful and it cheers me up! 
> 
> See you in two weeks for another chapter!
> 
> _Reviews are always nice_


	4. CHAPTER 4

“Are we ever going to talk about it?”

“Talk about what?” Cat asks, carefully removing rocks from one of her horse’s hooves.

“What occured at the lake that night, three weeks ago,” Lois retorts, the eyeroll audible in her voice. “Lucy is alive, Kara didn’t kill her but actually saved her …. Granted, she saved her from a situation she caused but I guess it doesn’t count, since Lucy’s living in her gang …”

“For someone who just got her sister back, you’re awfully prickly about the how,” Cat bites back, looking up to throw a sharp glance at her friend. “Can’t you just be happy that Lucy is alive and well?” 

Silence follows her remark and Cat focuses on taking care of her horse. She knows Lois is still processing everything. 

“It’s been three weeks; she hasn’t stopped by, like she said she would,” Lois eventually says, voice quiet and low. She sounds hurt and disappointed and it makes Cat’s heart break a little. Still, she’s always been the kind of friend who gives good reality checks, she’s not going to stop today.

“There’s a good explanation, you know?” Cat muses. “You told me so yourself, Kara Zor-El is one of the most wanted people in the country. Although it’s sometimes hard to say, given how much we’ve seen her lately …” 

Cat trails off a little after that.

Truth is, it really has been three weeks since she last saw Kara and she misses her, she can’t even explain it. They haven’t spent that much time together and when they have, it was almost always in dire circumstances, but she finds that she almost wishes for another one of those situations; just so she could see Kara again. 

Lois clears her throat and the sound brings Cat back to their discussion.

“It means that Lucy, who is a member of Kara’s gang, is probably laying low somewhere with the rest of them,” Cat finishes, releasing her horse’s leg and patting him on the back. “I’m sure she’ll come, just give her some time.”

“Mooooom! We’re about to have company!” 

The warning in Carter’s shout has them both moving at the same time. They reach for their weapons and run to exit the stables, already loading their rifles. 

Carter, perched atop his horse, is galloping toward them and gesturing to a group of riders on his left. Cat counts six of them, approaching at a fast-paced trot. Carter stops behind them and dismounts his horse, his breath ragged and labored.

“They’ve been following me since I finished repairing the fence in the south corner of the ranch,” Carter manages to wheeze out. “All men, and I think I heard someone say the name Lord.” 

Cat’s fingers tense around her rifle and she aims at the man she identifies as Maxwell Lord, riding a little ahead of his fellow men. 

“You again,” She growls as soon as he’s within earshot. “Trespassing now, are we?”

At her side, Lois has aimed her own rifle at the man on Maxwell’s right. 

“Easy ladies,” Maxwell chuckles, raising his hands in a gesture meant to be calming. It only looks more threatening to Cat. “I’m only here to ask you a few questions, then we’ll be on our way.”

Cat grits her teeth and readjusts her aim.

“About what?” 

“Kara Zor-El,” Maxwell replies, the name sounding like an insult in his mouth. “I heard rumours she’s been seen around these parts, and since you’re one of the few brave souls that live here …” 

“Listen”, Cat cuts him off, noticing the annoyed flash in his eyes. “I’ve been living here for about six years now and I’ve never seen that woman in my life. If she’s around, she knows better than to show her face at my ranch. I usually shoot on sight when people step on my property without my permission ... you’re just lucky my son heard your name, otherwise you’d be dead by now.” 

The diatribe seems to have the desired effect, with Maxwell nodding along and looking bored.

“Fine,” Maxwells groans. “I’ve been chasing after her for a long time, I’ll find her myself but for your sake and the sake of your family here, I sincerely hope you’re not hiding her in there, somewhere …”

“Yeah, yeah, you’d kill us all for harboring a fugitive, you’ve done it before, we get it,” Lois snaps, eyes alight with anger. Cat internally winces, knowing her friend said just a little too much. The surprised and interested gleam in Maxwell’s eyes tells her he didn’t miss it.

“You’ve heard of me, then?” Maxwell asks, his tone a little too suave for Cat’s liking. She’s praying for Lois to come to her senses and realise her mistake but she knows her friend is not seeing things clearly, right now. 

“Like that filthy criminal you’re chasing, your reputation precedes you, Lord,” Lois spits, holding his eyes without flinching. 

“Yes, well. I’m on the right side of the law,” Maxwell muses and the smirk on his lips is predatory. It sends a shiver down Cat’s spine.

“Get off my land,” Cat orders, moving her finger closer to the trigger. “I won’t ask it twice.”

“Ladies, young man …” Maxwell bows his head and makes his horse turn around. 

His men instantly follow him and they all ride away together. 

Cat doesn’t lower her weapon until they’re out of her sight and then she lets out a loud, relieved sigh.

“I guess you have a point, then”, Lois says, looking somber.

“Uh?” Cat asks, not following.

“About Lucy not being able to stop by,” Lois clarifies, distractingly patting Carter’s horse. “I sincerely hope she won’t show up anytime soon, after that.” 

Kara’s words about not wanting to put Carter at risk echo in Cat’s mind and she suddenly feels very grateful for the gunslinger’s strong will. As much as Cat wishes she could see Kara again, she doesn’t want it happening at anyone else’s expense, especially not Kara’s. 

“Me too,” Cat whispers, not really talking about Lucy. “Me too.”

\---

It’s well into the night when Carter stumbles into the living room with bleary eyes and mussed hair, looking almost lost.

“Hi kid,” Lois looks up from her book, surprised to see him. “How are you not asleep? It’s well after midnight …” 

Carter drops his half-asleep teenage body onto the couch next to her and leans against her side. She instinctively adjusts her position to make it more comfortable for him when he places his head against her shoulder. 

His voice is a little quiet, low and clipped when he answers. “Nightmare.”

Lois’s heart breaks a little but she knows he doesn’t like to be coddled so she doesn’t move. Instead, she focuses back on her book and absorbs herself into it. 

“Were you ever …” Carter suddenly asks and she almost startles, having thought he’d fallen asleep already. “I mean, you and mom … did something happen, between you two?”

Something in his tone prevents Lois from laughing out loud.   
It’s subtle but behind the quiet voice, she can hear the anguish, the slight distress and so she stays silent, mulling the words over. 

“Why do you ask, Carter?” Lois eventually questions, careful to keep her tone gentle and patient. “I mean … I’ve pretty much always been in your life, why wait fifteen years to ask such a question?” 

In the fireplace, a wooden log cracks and falls into the embers underneath. Flames flare and rise for a few seconds, projecting an orange halo onto the immediate surroundings, before they diminish.

“I’ve noticed how she … reacts, whenever Kara’s name is mentioned,” Carter explains, softly. His head is still on her shoulder and Lois tries not to breathe too strongly, to avoid jostling him. “She gets all … soft, almost dreamy. It’s not too visible, I don’t even think she’s aware of it but still …”

Lois can’t help the amused smile that forms on her lips.   
She’s noticed the dreamy look in Cat’s eyes whenever she thinks of the gunslinger, the brief but genuine smile, the way Cat relaxes ever so slightly, tension fading from her shoulders, and how it makes her look happy. 

“What does that have to do with me?” Lois asks after a beat, closing her book on her lap. She knows she probably won’t get back to it tonight. “Why are you asking if something ever happened between your mother and me?”

Carter removes his head from her shoulder and Lois watches as he gets up to add more wood to the fire. He seems restless, despite the sleep still tangled to his eyelashes and reddening his eyes.

“She used to look at you like that, a long time ago,” Carter states, not meeting her eyes. “I remember some days, where you acted all goofy with me and she just … stared, with that same softness in her eyes and smile.”

Lois doesn’t say anything. She senses that there is more about what he wants to say.

“She never … I don’t think she ever really looked at my father that way.” Carter states, sounding a little dejected. “Why is that?”

The fire is brighter now, with more wood crackling quietly under the assault of the flames. Carter’s silhouette is highlighted by golden shades and orange hues but with his back to the fireplace, his face is somewhat hidden in the relative darkness of the room. 

“That’s … a heavy question, Carter,” Lois carefully explains. “Are you sure you want to know the answer? You could … ask your mother about it, instead of me.”

“She won’t answer. She … evades the topic, anytime I get close to it,” Carter retorts and Lois fights against the urge to roll her eyes. 

“Of course she does,” She mutters. “We’re … not great at talking about our feelings, your mother and I. It’s a wonder we’ve lasted so long as friends, with how bad we are when it comes to tough talks ...”

Carter doesn’t say anything but the way he tilts his head tells Lois he’s waiting for more.

“Alright, Carter …” Lois sighs. “It’s a long overdue conversation, I suppose …”

She stands up and goes to find a bottle of whiskey before coming back to the couch. It’s a talk she won’t have if she doesn’t have some liquid courage with her. 

“In this world we live in … We, women, don’t get much chance to …” Lois trails off, shaking her head and going in another direction. “We don’t have much choice in life; the men around us get to choose for us. Fathers, brothers, cousins, any male relative gets to choose for us.”

“Choose?” Carter asks, slightly confused.

“You’ve been … somehow protected from that reality of life, Carter, but well,” Lois lets out a dry chuckle and takes a sip of alcohol. “My father wanted to marry me to a man I didn’t know and I was somehow lucky he’d waited until I was eighteen. Some girls are given away at the tender age of sixteen, sometimes even younger …”

Carter doesn’t say anything but she knows he’s looking at her with outrage in his eyes.

“Oh yes, some life … It means that we don’t get to choose anything and … love, is extremely rare. Don’t get me wrong, it happens. People fall in love. But for women, in most cases, it’s something forbidden. In some very rare, isolated cases, women fall in love with their husbands; but most of the time they fall in love with someone else. Someone they can’t have. Whether it’s because they are already married, because their loved one isn’t in the same social class, doesn’t have the same skin-color …” Lois swallows and then finishes “Or because the loved one is not a man.” 

Carter starts to pace in front of the fireplace. Lois can’t make out his features but she can guess he’s trying to make sense of what she just said.

“Your mother … she’s one of the few lucky ones, but there’s some misfortune to her luck,” Lois keeps talking. “She got to choose her husband, because she comes from a wealthy and intellectually advanced family. She chose your father, but not out of love. You probably know that already.”

Carter nods and chuckles “Yeah, the way they would constantly avoid each other as I grew up was … telling.” 

Lois smirks and nods before helping herself to a new dose of alcohol. 

“They had a relatively happy marriage, all things considered. She didn’t love him but she didn’t hate him either, and she got you, so there’s that,” Lois gestures to Carter, who only shrugs. “Now your mother … she’s always had a soft spot for … women, myself included.” 

Carter stops pacing and faces her. The look in his eyes is amused and sassy, the spitting portrait of his mother.

“Well, given how long she’s tolerated you, how you’re still here living with us … I’d say that’s pretty accurate, yes.”

It makes Lois laugh. It’s lined with affection and surprise but it’s genuine and she flips him off but without any bite to it. 

“Shut up, you’re lucky I’m still around. Besides, you love me, don’t try to say otherwise,” Lois threatens, gesturing a knowing finger. Carter only nods and his smile is soft, loving. “Anyway, she probably had feelings for me back then, in reference to those looks and smiles you’ve mentioned.”

“You didn’t …” Carter hesitates. “... have the same feelings?”

“No, Carter,” Lois smiles, softly. “I didn’t love your mother that way, and I told her so when she asked. Don’t get me wrong, I do love her, to the moon and back even, but not … not the way she loved me back then.”

Carter nods, slowly.

“You have to remember … it’s a hostile world for women out there, Carter. Like I said, we don’t have much choice, we don’t have a say and people, namely men, never listen to us,” Lois explains, voice heavy and low. “A woman loving another woman is … a punishable sin. In this world, it’s a crime even worse than killing a man. It’s not something any woman would ever show, nevermind admit.”

Carter comes back to sit next to her but this time, he doesn’t lean against her side. Instead, he’s looking at her right in the eyes, earnest and serious.

“Do you think … Kara knows?” Carter asks, hesitantly. The innocence in his eyes makes Lois’s heart break a little, for she knows reality is going to shatter it one day. 

“I think … she probably suspects something, yes,” Lois carefully answers. “However, it’s something they will have to work on together.”

Carter stays silent for another long handful of minutes before tilting his head again.

“Does that mean … mom could finally be happy?”

The question is nothing more than a whisper, but it’s lined with wistfulness and all the love a son could ever feel for his mother. Tears gather in Lois' eyes from the intensity of Carter’s yearning. She swallows another gulp of whiskey and takes her time to reply.

“What makes you think she’s not happy, Carter?”

Carter gives her a patented, unamused look and again, she’s struck by how much he looks like his mother tonight. 

“Fine, fine,” Lois relents, knowing better than to try to use logic against such a glare. “I think it’s … a possibility, yes. Then again, it’s a hard world we live in and Kara probably doesn’t have it much easier than we do. If … if she’s so inclined, it’s probably only making her life harder since she’s a gunslinger and on the run …”

Lois wonders about that sometimes, about how hard Kara’s life must be. She thinks it’s because she’s still trying to understand why her sister would voluntarily follow such a compromised woman but if she’s being honest, she does think about Kara Zor-El a lot too.

“The idea of a happy life, for both of them, is probably very …” Lois sighs and finishes. “...out of reach.”

The quiet sadness that settles in Carter’s baby blue eyes is ancient and resigned, it’s almost unbearable. Lois wants to tell him it’s going to happen, to give him some hope to hold onto for his mother’s future but she knows better. So she stays silent. 

“I still hope they … find each other,” Carter eventually sighs, the flames of the fire dancing across his face, making him look older than he truly is. 

There’s a tiny glimmer of hope in his voice, one Lois doesn’t have the heart to shut down.   
She simply nods and looks at the fire, without seeing it. 

He moves further into her side and places his head on her shoulder again.

He’s asleep in a matter of minutes but Lois stays awake a long, long time that night.

\---

Spring is around the corner.   
Small burgeons are starting to show on the trees and a few grass blades pierce the snow here and there but winter is resisting. It keeps snowing some days and the temperatures stay low. 

Cat and Lois are skinning a few pieces of quarry in front of the house and Carter is cutting some wood nearby when an unexpected visitor shows up. 

Lois is faster than Cat, who has her hands deep in a rabbit’s guts. She grabs her rifle and steps in front of her friend, eyes on the stranger. 

It’s a lone rider, coming up the path leading to the house at a slow, walking pace.   
The grey horse is small but sturdy and nervous. As the rider approaches, a ray of sunshine catches on something gold. The horse stops at a respectable distance before the rider gets down and raises his hands, slowly stepping forwards.

Cat takes in the sight of the tall, black man in front of them, with gentle features and kind eyes. He’s wearing a thick woolen coat but Cat doesn’t know if the color is supposed to be grey or if it comes from all the dirt and dust that seem to cover it. His jeans are worn-out and pieced back together around the knees but his boots seem to be shining and new.

“I apologize for the intrusion, ladies,” The man says, voice low and peaceful. “My name is Hank Henshaw and I am the new sheriff of these lands.”

The gold star on his chest, sparkling under the sunlight, is unmissable. Lois frowns and slowly lowers her weapon.

“What happened to the previous one?” Cat asks, wiping her hands on the front of her apron as she comes to stand next to her friend. “Lex Luthor, wasn’t it?” 

She knew the former sheriff well enough, after six years living in the lands, but she’s never seen Hank before in her life. 

“He’s dead,” Hank replies, cooly. “How he died is some kind of a mystery, though. He’s been dead for almost a year already but all kinds of rumors are still spreading about his death, all putting the blame on different people.” 

Cat narrows her eyes at him.

“Ma’am, if you’d allow me, I’d like to ask you a few questions,” Hank says, eyes traveling from Lois to Cat. He has deep brown eyes that seem to be able to see through one’s soul, it makes Cat feel slightly uncomfortable.

“What about?” Cat crosses her arms over her chest, openly stating her defiance. 

“Some, let’s say... concerned sources, reported sightings of Maxwell Lord and his bounty hunters lurking around your property, trespassing a few times even,” Hank explains and the name alone makes Cat groan. “I’d like to know why.”

“Why do men like him do anything?” Cat arches an unimpressed brow. “You can’t possibly think I’ll have the answer to that question.”

That earns her an amused smile from the sheriff. It makes his eyes sparkle and Cat doesn’t find him so intimidating, all of a sudden. 

“Fine, I suppose I can make some time for you. Let’s go inside, we’ll talk over a cup of coffee,” Cat nods, gesturing for the man to follow her. 

Carter starts swinging his axe again and Lois exchanges a glance with Cat, silently telling her she’ll keep an eye on him while she talks to the sheriff.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Hank says as he steps into the house. 

He wipes his boots on the carpet as he removes his hat and Cat appreciates the little signs of respect. She leads him to the kitchen and gestures for him to sit at the table while she prepares a pot of coffee. 

“Tell me something, Sheriff. Why are you after Maxwell Lord?” Cat asks once she’s placed a steaming cup in front of him, already pouring another for herself. “I mean, he’s a bounty-hunter, not some ‘most wanted’ man whose face is plastered everywhere …”

The sheriff looks amused again at her comment, but he doesn’t answer for a moment. He closes both his hands around his cup and sips at his coffee, seemingly grateful for the heat and the drink.

“He’s not, unfortunately,” Hank finally muses after a little while, making Cat arch a surprised brow. 

“That’s … unexpected, to say the least,” Cat retorts, clearly taken aback. 

“I imagine it is, yes,” Hank chuckles, humorlessly. “See, I have reasons to believe Maxwell Lord has done a lot of things that would put him on the wrong side of the law. As far as I’m concerned … he should have his face on a ‘most wanted’ poster.”

“That’s an unusual opinion, coming from a sheriff, Mister Henshaw,” Cat slowly says, moving around to grab some slices of bread. She places them in front of the man and gestures for him to help himself. “What are those reasons you mentioned?” 

“There’s too many of them. I’ve been following Maxwell’s footsteps for a long time and there’s a lot of details that don't add up,” Hank explains, finishing his coffee and nodding at Cat when she offers to pour him another cup. “He always seems to show up in the strangest places, where bad things never fail to happen. For example, about seven years ago, he was somehow tied to the destruction of the Olsen estate, which led to the death of a young woman. There’s also that tragedy near the Mexican frontier, about four years ago ... the Rojas massacre. I’m sure you heard of it …” 

That particular event had been plastered on every newspaper in the country for weeks on end. They told stories of how the whole Rojas family had been murdered in one night by a ruthless gang of killers and they didn’t spare any details about the many tortures the family had to endure before succumbing to their unavoidable death.

“Now, last year ... He was already in the area when Lex Luthor was killed. The circumstances surrounding the late sheriff’s death are … extremely strange,” Hank continues. “He was traveling back from Saint Denis, in the South, when his stagecoach got attacked. I was one of the first men to arrive on the scene afterward, it was … What I saw didn’t make any sense.”

“How so?” Cat pushes, wondering if Kara had anything to do with the former sheriff’s death. Lex Luthor had been a ruthless man who always kept the letter of the law. 

“Well, for starters … The fallen carriage was riddled with arrows, the kind only the Inze use. The blue and black feathers are their signature, it makes their arrows easily recognizable. Three of the horses were slowly dying in the middle of the road, whining in pain and bleeding out, it was heartbreaking. We had to put them down. There was one missing, we never found it.”

Hank picks a piece of bread and bites into it, slowly chewing before swallowing. 

“Then, there was a lot of blood inside the stagecoach, dripping from the leather seats and spread on every side of the carriage. I ain’t no shrinking violet, ma’am, but the whole scene made me feel really sick.”

Cat swallows against the lump in her throat and chases the bitter taste with a sip of coffee.

“Lex’s body had been dragged down from inside the stagecoach to the side of the road, where he could easily be seen by people coming both ways. He’d been … tortured. I won’t go into details here but it’s not unlike what the papers said about the Rojas massacre,” Hank explains, looking a little pale. 

It’s a little strange to see a man of his stature be so perturbed but Cat figures it’s only normal. No human could go through something like that and come out of it without scars. 

“That’s not everything though. The valuables were still there. Lex’s weapons were on the ground by his body and the trunks and chests at the back of the carriage had been left untouched. We found women's clothes in some of them and a few books, all dedicated to Lena Luthor.” 

“Lex Luthor’s sister, yes,” Cat nods, having seen Lena in town a few times over the years. “She lives in Saint Denis most of the year, but sometimes she comes to visit her brother in National Creek.”

“I think she’s been abducted. We didn’t find her body anywhere and we searched for weeks …” Hank sighs. 

Cat’s heart squeezes in her chest. She knows that whatever happened to the younger Luthor, it wasn’t good. Her memories of Lena are rather distant but she distinctly remembers a pair of translucent eyes that could have been either green or blue and a hoarse and low voice, thick with a strange, foreign accent. 

“What does it have to do with Maxwell Lord? You said you recognized the Inze arrows …” Cat muses, thinking back on the sheriff’s tale.

“I also said it didn’t make any sense,” Hank corrects. “See, those arrows were pretty out of place. The Inze tribe is extremely dangerous they kill for revenge, I’m not saying otherwise but they’re also known for the way they honor and respect animals. There’s no way the Inze would have let the horses suffer like that for so long.” 

Cat nods, knowing he has a point.   
Every time she’s come across one of the Inze traps in the forest, she’s noticed the ingenious way it worked to capture the animal without ever harming them. 

“There’s also the way Lex had been tortured,” Hank continues. “It’s not something the Inze would do. Not that they don’t do torture, I know they do, but not like this. This was … too close to the Rojas massacre, a tragedy that has no ties whatsoever to the Inze tribe.” 

“Hence Maxwell Lord, who happened to be nearby in every situation …” Cat thinks out loud, following her own reasoning.

“Unfortunately, he wasn’t the only one. Someone else has been seen in every location I mentioned, someone whose face actually is on a ‘most wanted’ poster,” Hank shakes his head, lightly. He looks a little resigned. “You’ve heard of Kara Zor-El, haven’t you?”

“She’s very popular, these days …” Cat sasses, taking another sip of coffee. “She’s the reason I’m having a Lord invasion. I understand he’s been chasing after her for a long time?”

Hank is narrowing his eyes at her, a strange gleam sparking in his irises. Again, she feels uncomfortable under the scrutiny, wondering for a split second if he actually can read through her soul. 

“You’ve … met her?” Hank asks, sounding a little skeptical.

“I have,” Cat replies, curtly. She doesn’t see the point in lying. “I didn’t recognize her at first. I don’t pay much attention to the posters, there’s so many of them everywhere … It’s only when my friend, the one you met outside, pointed it out to me, that I made the connection.” 

Hank looks a little dumbfounded for a moment but he then composes himself. 

“I suppose … it makes sense,” Hank sighs, pushing his chair back before he stands up. He picks up his hat, finishes his coffee and then looks back into Cat’s eyes. “Be careful, ma’am. I’m not sure how she fits into the mess I just explained but I do know one thing; she’s dangerous. Maybe even more than Maxwell Lord … You’d do well not to cross her path again. She’s bad news.”

Cat doesn’t reply as she follows the sheriff back outside. He says goodbye to Lois and Carter before turning back to face her.

“If you ever see Maxwell Lord again … Maybe don’t mention my name. He’s left you alone for now, no need to provoke him …”

“I’ll bear that in mind, Sheriff,” Cat nods and crosses her arms over her chest, watching as Hank goes back to his horse. 

He raises his hand, waves at them and then turns away, leaving without another word.

“What did he say?” Lois asks, climbing the few steps to join her friend on the porch.

“An interesting story about Maxwell Lord, the Inze tribe, Lex’s murder and how Kara Zor-El seems to be the catalyst for everything …” Cat retorts, trying not to let her doubts show. 

“He’s after her, too? Damn, ain’t she popular …” Lois whistles, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “Well, let’s hope she’s safe, wherever she is, and not planning on paying us a visit anytime soon. We’re being watched by quite a lot of people nowadays …” 

Cat knows it’s for the best but she can’t help but feel disappointed and sad.   
She’s been missing Kara lately, more than she could ever explain. She knows Lois is aware of it, to a certain degree, but her friend doesn’t know how deep it runs. It had started with random thoughts during the day, some casual questions about what Kara would be doing at the moment but then it became stronger. She’s been dreaming about the gunslinger a lot and there have been some mornings where, after rather vivid fantasies, she’s woken up feeling particularly lonely.

“He also said Lena Luthor was abducted, but he doesn’t know who was behind it,” Cat adds, remembering that particular topic of conversation. “I hope she suffered a merciful fate …”

“Unlikely,” Lois sighs, her face closed off and her eyes ablaze with anger. “She was a beautiful, beautiful woman … mercy was the least possible thing for her, sadly.” 

Cat knows her friend is right. Whatever happened to Lena Luthor, she probably suffered a lot and for a long time. Hers was only one name on the long list of unidentified women disappearing in the woods. Whose bodies sometimes turned up and sometimes didn’t. 

“Come on, let’s get started on dinner,” Lois nudges her with her elbow before shouting at Carter. “Hey kid! Bring the wood in, make us a fire in the living room.”

“Yes ma’am,” Carter sasses with a mock-salute, making Cat laugh.

“Teenagers,” Lois grumbles but the smile on her lips is warm and soft, tender.

“Come on grumpy, let’s make dinner,” Cat chuckles, dragging her friend inside and to the kitchen.

\---

Clouds in the sky are hiding the stars and the moon when she finally parks her wagon in the barn. She’s exhausted from the trip to National Creek and she wants nothing more than to drop onto her bed and sleep, but she still has to take care of the horses. So she does. 

She detaches them both from the carriage, removes their harness and then leads them out of the barn, closing and locking the doors behind them. Holding the reins in one hand and a lamp in the other, she guides the horses to the stable, yawning from time to time.

She’s just closed the stall-door behind the second horse when she hears a noise behind her, something loud. She pulls her gun in a split second and turns around, already aiming her Colt at the silhouette coming out of the shadow.

“Miss Grant, long time no see,” Kara says, hands in the air as she steps into the light. “I see we’re back to aiming a weapon at me …”

“What the fuck, Kara!” Cat groans, lowering her weapon and holstering it while trying to catch her breath. “You scared the shit outta me!” 

“Should I have knocked?” Kara sasses, a smirk on her lips as she tilts her head. 

She’s holding her hat in her right hand and her golden locks gleam under the lamp’s light. Her thick, brown-coat is open on a deep-blue waistcoat and a surprisingly clean white shirt. She’s wearing black jeans and her boots match the belt, the outfit completed by a black scarf hanging loosely around her neck.

“Yes,” Cat grumbles, moving away from the horse’s stall, closer to Kara. “What are you doing here? Where have you been? It’s been almost two months, I assumed you were back on the run.”

Cat’s annoyed and hurt, and she knows Kara can hear it in her voice. She really thought she wouldn’t see the gunslinger again, not after all this time without any news. She realises she’s being unfair, especially with so many men lurking around her ranch in the hope of catching the leader of the Kryptonite gang but she can’t help herself. 

“You’re being watched, Miss Grant. I’m taking a huge risk tonight, by showing up here …” Kara retorts, taking a step forward and reducing the distance in between them. “Still … do you really think I would have left without saying goodbye?”

Kara’s voice is low and soft, almost sweet. There’s something in it that pulls at the strings of Cat’s heart, making it beat just a little faster. Then, the words sink in and Cat recoils.

“Is that why you’re here tonight? To say goodbye?” Cat accuses, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the gunslinger. 

The look of sadness in Kara’s eyes is almost too much for Cat to bear. She sees losses, responsibilities, and yearning; that same longing she’s seen once or twice before. 

“Only for a little while, yes,” Kara eventually says, sounding resigned. “I need to throw all those men off your scent, Miss Grant. They’re too close. I don’t like the idea of Carter, Lois or you being in any kind of danger because of me.”

Cat wants to protest, to say she can take care of her family, that they’ll be fine.  
It would be a lie, she knows it. She’s heard enough of Maxwell Lord’s tales to know she can’t ignore the serious threat he’s posing. She’s also certain that Hank Henshaw would stop at nothing to bring law and order to these lands. 

Mostly, she wants to ask Kara to stay. The mere idea of not seeing her for another two months or more is already making her feel miserable and lonely, surprisingly empty. 

“How long will you be gone?” Cat asks, swallowing all the other words she wants to say. 

“Months,” Kara replies with a sad smile. “I’ll make myself visible in another town in a few days ... That should catch Maxwell Lord’s attention and with some luck, he’ll start chasing me right away.” 

She’s playing with her hat, making it turn in her hands.

“Luce is staying, along with the rest of the gang. I have asked them to keep an eye on you and your family, just in case I don’t manage to pull the bounty-hunters’ attention.” 

“You’re going alone?” Cat asks, not liking the sound of that. 

“No, Alex’s coming with me. She didn’t give me much of a choice,” Kara grumbles but it’s fond, tender. “We’re leaving in two days but I wanted …”

Kara trails off, looking very uncertain, all of a sudden. The longing in her blue eyes is stronger now, sparkling like galaxies of stars in the blue of her irises.   
Cat steps closer again, unable to stop herself.

“You wanted to … what?” Cat pushes, coming to stand in front of the gunslinger. 

The smell of dust and wind swirl in the air around Kara, along with the familiar hints of peppermint. It’s a distinct scent, one Cat only associates with Kara; it’s comforting and safe. It’s also a little arousing.

“Tell me,” Cat whispers, looking up into Kara’s shining blue-eyes, searching for the answer she’s desperate to hear. 

Kara looks torn again.   
There’s a storm brewing in her darkening blue eyes, made of steeled determination and painful regrets. Cat can see she’s going to pull away and she can’t bear it. She reaches with both hands and closes them around Kara’s face, holding her in place. Kara’s eyes widen in surprise and she drops her hat but stays put.

“Please,” Cat murmurs again, not even knowing why or what she’s pleading for anymore. The skin under her palms is soft and warm and she distractingly brushes her thumbs around the apples of Kara’s cheeks.

“I wanted to see you,” Kara murmurs, her voice so low that Cat barely hears her. “I’ve been … thinking about you, a lot.” 

The admission is quiet, in the relative darkness of the stable, but to Cat’s ears it’s a deafening thunderstorm. It makes her heart go frantic as something warm, hot even, spreads in her chest, flows into her veins, makes her feel incredibly alive. 

“I know it’s not … I shouldn’t …” Kara starts to say, sounding alarmed and already trying to escape Cat’s hold. Cat shakes her head and keeps her close, stepping forward.

“I feel the same, Kara,” Cat whispers, finding Kara’s eyes and holding them with her own. “I don’t know how to explain it, I don’t know why. I’ve been thinking about you too, dreaming about you even ... I’ve missed you, more than I can say.” 

“You … have?” Kara asks, sounding breathless, a little dumbfounded.

“Everyone keeps telling me you’re the bad guy,” Cat smiles but when Kara tenses, she’s quick to continue. “I know better.”

Kara relaxes a little after that, her eyes still a little wide and gleaming with surprise. 

“You saved me, my son and my friend, more than once,” Cat whispers, brushing her thumbs on Kara’s cheeks. “I know you’ve saved other people, Eve shared her story with me. I’m guessing the people in your gang all have some kind of similar story, like Lucy.” 

“I … you don’t know everything,” Kara whispers back, uncertainty lining her voice. “I’ve killed, I’m not an innocent.” 

“You’re not,” Cat confirms but the smile on her lips is soft. “You know this better than me; it’s a wild world out there Kara. Sometimes, in order to survive, we have to do things that are not right.”

That seems to appease Kara a little.

“I thought … I thought maybe Lois was ...” Kara stammers a little and a slight blush appears under Cat’s palms. “Please, tell me I’m not giving her more reasons to shoot me?” 

Cat frowns and she’s about to ask when realisation hits. 

It makes her laugh, almost too loudly for the moment, startling both Kara and the horses behind her. 

“Oh no, nothing is going on between me and Lois, no,” Cat manages to say in between fits of laughter. It seems to vex Kara, who frees herself from Cat’s hold but Cat reaches and grabs her hands, pulling her closer again. “Lois has been my best friend for years, now. She’s more of a sister than anything else. An annoying, relentless, ‘I told you so’ and bitchy sister but still … She’s family.” 

“Sounds like her alright,” Kara grumbles but there’s a smile forming on her lips, small but there nonetheless. “So, she won’t shoot at me if I do this?”

Cat doesn’t have time to ask before Kara kisses her.

It’s bruising, fierce and passionate, intense. 

Cat steps into Kara’s embrace and parts her lips, transforming their already not-so-innocent kiss into an open-mouthed one. Her hands are acting of their own volition, one of them closing around Kara’s neck and the other tangling into the impossibly soft golden locks. Kara bites into the kiss, making Cat groan. She retaliates by digging her nails into the nape of Kara’s neck and the moan that escapes her lips is worth it. 

All Cat can think about is Kara.   
Kara’s warm and sure hands, already pulling at her shirt. Kara’s breath, coming out ragged and labored when they come up for air before kissing again. Kara’s smell, as it hangs in the air all around them. Kara’s clothes, getting in the way.   
The way Kara looks at her when they manage to make eye contact, as if she was everything the gunslinger’s ever wanted and more. The way Kara smirks when Cat teases a little too much. The indecent softness of Kara’s lips as they trail down to her jaw and down her neck, leaving a hot, incandescent trail behind them. 

Then all of a sudden, Kara’s not close anymore and Cat audibly whimpers at the loss. 

She blinks and looks around, only to see Kara stepping away into the darkness with a finger on her lips.

“Cat? Cat are you alright in there?” 

In all the years they’ve been living together, Cat has never been more annoyed at Lois than she is now. 

“I’m fine, Lois, just taking care of the horse. Go back to bed,” Cat says, a little more angrily than she should. 

Kara’s eyes are sparkling with amusement, in the shadow of the stable. Cat glares but it seems to only add to Kara’s hilarity. 

“Need any help with that?” Lois asks, opening the stable’s door and glancing in.

“I’m good, Lois,” Cat sighs, waving her friend away.

“Fine, I’ll go,” Lois rolls her eyes and then shouts. “‘Night Kara, don’t forget your hat on the way out.”

Lois closes the door, her chuckle echoing in the stable long after she’s left as Cat’s left staring at the wooden door, dumbfounded.

“Some friend you got there,” Kara laughs, coming back into the light.

She picks up her hat and places it on her head, adjusting it until it fits. The golden locks bounce on her shoulders and the gleam in her eyes is dulled, sad.   
Cat knows their moment is gone and some part of her is blaming Lois for it.

“I have to go, Miss Grant,” Kara sighs, her tone heavy with regret. 

The words make Cat want to scream and cry.   
It’s unfair that the moment she finally gets closer to happiness, she has to let it go. She knows it’s for their own good, that Kara’s doing this to protect her and her family but it doesn’t change the fact it’s breaking her heart. 

“I know,” Cat whispers, blinking away the tears of frustration that threaten to fall. “Promise me you’ll be back?”

Kara wraps her arms around her from behind, holding her close.   
The words she murmurs into Cat’s ears are not English but somehow, Cat understands. It’s soft and light and sweet, promises Kara can’t make but wants to, hopes she doesn’t have the right to voice and thoughts to keep her warm at night. 

“I will,” Kara says and she slowly spins Cat around to be able to kiss her. 

This time, it’s slow and tender. It’s full of unsaid things, but Cat chooses to focus on the tiny bit of hope it ignites in her heart.

Then, just like that, Kara’s gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!
> 
> This was a very complete chapter with FINALLY some action for our two beloved and helpless women.   
> I'd like to point out the whole fic was prompted by my infamous **NASCAR anon** and this chapter features the actual prompt line :
> 
> "Everyone keeps telling me you're the bad guy, but I know better" 
> 
> I hope you liked the update!   
> Feel free to find me on Tumblr, Twitter or in the comments below if you wanna talk/yell/smash the keyboard ... or you know, whatever suits your mood!
> 
> _As always, reviews are always nice_


	5. CHAPTER 5

The sun is hanging high in the cloudless blue sky, bathing the world in the typical spring light that brightens every color. From the green of the grass, the blue of the sky, the gold of the blossoming wheat and corn field, the pink and purple of the flowers; to the rich nuances of the wooden façades, everything seems lighter and more intense at once. 

Traces of rain still linger here and there. Drops sparkling high up in the tree leaves, hanging on the side of the grass blades and dripping from the gleaming roofs. Small puddles reflecting the sun in the middle of the muddy roads.

“I love the smell of nature after the rain,” Carter inhales, a huge smile plastered on his lips. “It’s so fresh!”

“I only smell horses. Wet horses, more accurately,” Lois grumbles as she dismounts her ride in front of the ranch. 

She’s soaked through with rain, from the hat on her head to the inside of her boots, and when her shoes all but sink into the mud, she lets out a long-suffering sigh.

“Come on, grumpy. You can go in, I’ll take care of the horses,” Carter laughs, already reaching a hand for Lois to give him the reins of her ride. “Save me a spot by the fire, assuming mom started one …” 

“She better have,” Lois grumbles again, relinquishing her ride to the young boy. 

She steps onto the porch and turns to watch as he guides both horses to the stable. A soft smile graces her lips when she notices how happy he truly looks. 

“You look terrible.”

Lois startles and whirls around.

Lucy’s standing in the door frame, an amused smirk on her lips.   
She’s wearing a pair of damaged brown leather boots that match the belt holding her worn-out dark jeans in place and her waistcoat, open on a pale pink shirt of which the sleeves are rolled up above the elbows. 

“Luce? What are you doing here?” Lois asks, a little wary. 

“I’m visiting,” Luce retorts, slowly limping forward to drop a kiss on her sister’s cheek. “Cat let me in, I’ve been helping her with lunch.” 

“You’re … visiting …” Lois repeats, arching a brow. “How nice of you to show up, almost three months after I found out you were actually alive …” 

“I had to wait for Maxwell Lord and his goons to be gone before I could stop by,” Lucy explains, gently nudging Lois into the house. “He knows me and he thinks I’m dead. It wouldn’t take long before he connects the dots between me and Kara, if he ever finds out I’m alive …” 

Lois removes her boots and leaves them out by the door. There’s a fire crackling in the living room and she goes to hang her drenched hat and coat next to it before focusing back on her sister.

“They went after your beloved Kara the moment she left. Which was about eight weeks ago …” Lois points out, her tone slightly accusatory. 

The green of Lucy’s eyes darkens and sparkles with irritation.

“You’re acting like you’re my mother,” Lucy grits out, crossing her arms over her chest. “Which is rich, coming from someone who abandoned me the day she turned eighteen …”

That’s a blow, one Lois didn’t see coming. It takes her breath away and she almost staggers back under the force of it. After a whole minute though, she retaliates.

“I did not abandon you, you refused to come with me,” Lois argues, squaring her shoulders and glaring right into her sister’s eyes. “Daddy dearest wanted to marry me off to some farmer up North and I had no say in it. I didn’t have any choice but to run. When I asked you to run away with me, you tried to guilt me into staying, you even used mom’s memory against me.”

That seems to make Lucy pause and for a moment, she almost looks sheepish. Lois doesn’t stop though.

“You said life on the run wasn’t a life, that I should stay and try to make peace with our father, that maybe he’d change his mind …” Lois spat, resentment swirling in her voice.” Now imagine my surprise when, after discovering you were alive, I realise that you've been on the run for a few years already, following a gunslinger no less!” 

Lucy looks downright guilty now but it does nothing to assuage Lois’ anger. 

“I came back for you, did you know? I came back when you turned eighteen, thinking maybe our father would have made you suffer the fate he tried to impose on me …” Lois slowly says. “The house was empty and abandoned, in ruin. I panicked, I didn’t know where you were, what had happened. It’s one of our old neighbours who told me about our father’s death, which had occurred two years before my return, when you were sixteen. She also told me you’d gone to Saint-Denis, that you were working to be a teacher, last she’d heard.“ 

Lois moves around the living room and goes to rummage in a wooden chest to pull out a bottle of whiskey. She twists the cap off and drinks a few long gulps, trying to drown her anger and the bittersweet memories that are starting to resurface.

“You’d gone to one of the biggest cities in the area and were making a life for yourself. There were no marriage plans, apparently, no arranged future in the works for you, you were just … free,” Lois breathes, through gritted teeth, after another dose of alcohol. “I had to run away to avoid being married to some stranger I knew nothing about, but you … nothing. You were just free to do as you wanted.”

Lucy opens her mouth, seemingly ready to protest but Lois glares and shakes her head no.

“Oh no, shut up. I’m not even close to done,” Lois threatens and it seems to efficiently silence her sister. “I went to Saint-Denis and I found you. You were about to turn nineteen, but you already had a nice reputation in town. A good teacher, with proper manners, and possibly even some political prospects, tutoring the mayor’s kids …” 

Lois pauses and drinks another few gulps.

“You were doing just fine by yourself, so I didn’t stick around. I knew your address, I went back to my life and eventually, I sent you a letter. I was surprised when you answered but then you acted as if nothing ever happened … I figured you didn’t need anything more, so I just sent letters from time to time.”

Lois moves around the room and slams down the whiskey bottle on the chimney mantel, so strongly it’s a wonder it doesn’t break.   
She focuses back on her sister, anger flaring in her eyes and radiating from her whole body. 

“For fuck’s sake! You didn’t invite me to your wedding, Luce! Your wedding!” Lois yells. “I only found out about it when your next letter came with the name Lucy Olsen at the bottom, next to the new address I should send the letters to. It broke my fucking heart!” 

Lucy now looks on the verge of tears but Lois still isn’t done, far from it. 

“You didn’t need me. You never did, I get it. I mean, you didn’t even tell me when your husband got killed in the war; I got the fucking message,” Lois states, her voice low but vibrating with anger.

“Still, do you have any idea what it was like, to learn about your death? I went there, Luce, I saw the ruins, the burned down house, I heard the stories of Kara Zor-El, the most wanted person in the whole country, being spotted there the day it happened. I thought … I envisioned every single god damn scenario about your death. Not knowing drove me crazy! It took me years,” Lois chokes on the words but the anger is too strong, it keeps her going. “Years, to finally bury an empty coffin, because what else could I do? I thought you were dead, Luce! DEAD!”

Lois grabs the bottle and finishes it before smashing it in the fireplace, making the flames flare and rise up. 

“You just … showed up, behind Kara fucking Zor-El of all people, alive and well, while I had been mourning you for years, and the first thing you do is reject me again,” Lois accuses, her tone sharp and cutting. “Now, you tell me: how am I supposed to feel?”

The silence, after all the anger she’s let out, is jarring.   
The wood in the fire cracks quietly, but it’s the only noise in the room. 

Silent tears are streaming down Lucy’s face. Lois didn’t even realise she’d started crying too, it’s only when she licks her lips that she notices the wetness and the salted taste.

Carter and Cat are standing next to each other near the door that leads to the kitchen. Carter has wide eyes and looks dumbfounded, but there’s worry and affection in Cat’s eyes, understanding. It’s the fact there’s no judgment and no pity in Cat’s hazel eyes that grounds Lois, making her take a deep breath.

“Anyway,” Lois sighs, exhaustion taking over the anger. “I need to go lie down. Call me when it’s time for lunch.”

Lucy opens her mouth, seemingly to protest, but Cat cuts her off. 

“Sure thing, Lois. I’ll come find you; now go and rest.” 

Lois nods and exits the living room without another word.

\---

“How old are you?” 

“Uh?” Lucy blinks in surprise.

“Your age … how old are you?” Cat repeats as she slowly stirs the stew. 

Carter bounces into the kitchen, grabs a slice of bread and then narrows his eyes at Lucy before returning to the living room.

“Uh, I’m twenty eight, why?” Lucy eventually replies, sounding uncomfortable.

Cat hums but doesn’t retort. She grabs a few plates and starts setting the table, not paying much attention to the younger Lane.

“Would you prefer I leave?” Lucy eventually asks, the uneasiness really underlining her tone this time.

“No,” Cat shakes her head and her tone is final when she adds “You will not leave this house until you’ve cleared the air with your sister.” 

Lucy stays quiet for a little while.

“I really did a number on her, didn’t I?” She whispers as Cat sits down in front of her.

“Understatement of the fucking century,” Cat replies without missing a beat. 

She studies the younger Lane’s features, immediately noticing the resemblance with Lois.   
It wouldn’t be obvious to anyone but her; something in the sharp shape of their noses, the way their jaws work the same when they clench it, the delicacy of their bone structure around the apple of their cheeks and eyebrows. 

“Look, your sister is a pain in the ass, that’s for sure,” Cat says and she chuckles when she notices the shock that widens Lucy’s eyes. “She’s rude, unabashed, constantly grumpy, it takes her forever to admit it when she’s wrong, and she always says what no one wants to hear; especially ‘I told you so’, it’s exhausting and annoying. She’s not flawless, but then again ... no one is.” 

Lucy hesitates for a moment but then nods, showing Cat she’s listening.

“The thing is, Lois is one of the most loyal people I’ve ever met. She’s been there for me for a long, long time, through thick and thin, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much she means to me. She’s my family,” Cat explains and her tone is soft, tender. “You’re her baby sister, ten years younger than her. When she asked you to run away with her, you were eight years old, am I right?”

Lucy nods, slowly. 

“You were understandably too young to comprehend what was going on between your sister and your father … Which meant that, when she did run away, you probably thought she’d betrayed you.”

The look of sadness that crosses Lucy’s eyes is answer enough. 

“It’s alright. Lois wasn’t thinking straight back then, she probably didn’t realise how it would look from your perspective. She made a mistake,” Cat explains, slowly. “She’s made a lot of mistakes in her life, as we all do. It’s life, nothing is certain and since you ended up being on the run with Kara’s gang, I’d say you know that better than anyone.” 

A sparkle of guilt shines in Lucy’s eyes.

“Still … She’s tried. She … keeps trying, even if it certainly doesn’t look like it after such an outburst,” Cat sighs. “You have to understand, I already knew her back then. I saw her writing those letters to you, doing her best to express her love despite the circumstances …“

Cat remembers the long nights she’d spent watching Lois get frustrated after fifteen attempts. She has vivid memories of Lois burning everything down before starting again, relentlessly trying. She also remembers the difficult talks she’d put Lois through, hoping it would help make her feel better in the long run. 

“She’s not great with feelings,” Cat chuckles, a little dryly. “She’s terrible with them to be honest. She runs away from emotional talks when it concerns her directly, even though she has no problem with adding nails to the coffin when it’s about anyone else.”

That gets a tiny smile from Lucy. 

“Anyway, she’s really raw and impossible to read, it’s hard to talk to or with her,” Cat continues “Still, I’ve seen her try to have a relationship with you, I encouraged her more than once to go visit you but she was … scared.”

Lucy frowns, clearly not understanding why.

“You have to understand … You were eight, you were a scared little girl but she was eighteen and when you rejected her that first time, it … left a scar and that wound never healed,” Cat explains, her tone gentle but firm. “You’ve only poured salt on it, back at the lake when you refused to stay with her, choosing Kara instead.”

Understanding dawns in Lucy’s eyes.

“I’m not blaming you, that’s not what I’m saying,” Cat adds. “I’m just trying to make you see things from her perspective. I’m hoping that you two can … talk, at the very least.” 

“Talking is overrated,” Lois grumbles, stumbling into the kitchen with a hand on her forehead. “Damn, that whiskey was old.” 

Lucy startles a little and suddenly looks uncomfortable.   
Cat watches as Lucy hesitates and she wonders if the bond between the Lane sisters is salvageable. She knows it’s still there, she’s seen how much Lois cares and she’s noticed the blatant longing in Lucy’s eyes, but it’s definitely dimmed, cracked, fragile. 

“Lois Lane, not handling her liquor! That’s not something I thought I’d ever see,” Lucy finally smirks, her tone amused and slightly tentative.

Lois blinks, surprised by the call out, and then glares, but there’s just a hint of a smile at the corner of her lips. It’s barely there but Cat sees it and she knows the Lane sisters will be alright. It will take time, it will take effort and it won’t be easy but it will work. 

“Can I …” Lucy trails off, looking unsure. Lois narrows her eyes but doesn’t push. “How did you … how did you two meet?” 

Cat arches a brow at that, exchanging an amused look with Lois. 

“Lois tried to steal mom’s horse,” Carter replies, surprising everyone as he bounces back in to sit next to Lois. 

That causes Lucy’s eyes to widen and she glances back and forth between Lois and Cat, clearly interested in the story. 

“I’m gonna need more alcohol, if we’re going memory lane”, Lois warns, sounding gruff but she reaches a hand to mess with Carter’s hair, making him groan and lean away.

“You can’t handle it,” Cat laughs and Lois flips her off, making Carter laugh too.

Cat still grabs a bottle of whiskey and places it in front of her friend, squeezing her shoulder as she does. Lois smiles and Cat returns the gesture with a relieved nod. 

“Alright so, I was twenty-four years old and pretty much on the run. From what, I don’t know exactly because as far as I can tell, father never sent anyone after me, but still …” Lois sasses, her tone a bit sharp, as if daring Lucy to react. When she doesn’t, Lois nods and keeps talking. “I had already gone through a few rough patches, since I’d left home but really, this was a new low. I was … kind of desperate. Enough to consider doing … some things I would have never, ever, thought about before.” 

Lois pours whiskey in her sister’s glass and then in her own. Cat shakes her head no when Lois meets her eyes, bottle raised as an invitation. 

“So … I was crashing in a brothel near Annesburgh Town. It’s a mining town near the coast, way North of Saint-Denis …” Lois explains. “It’s as grey and sad as you can imagine, really depressing. Everyone is coughing up their lungs from all the black smoke … Anyway, I was hungry, sleep-deprived, I had already sold everything I had, horse included, and I was about to sell myself. I was lurking near the train station when I saw a horse arrive at full speed.”

Lucy’s hanging on to her every word, and despite the fact he already knows the story, so does Carter. 

“On it, a woman with long blond hair, wearing one of the most ridiculous dresses I’ve ever seen. Some kind of pale blue gown with white lace; really, how you even managed to get on the horse is still a mystery to this day,” Lois laughs, her eyes sparkling with humor as she waves at Cat, who only flips her off. 

“So there she was, riding that majestic stallion into town and wearing this ridiculous outfit … and she stopped at the train station- because it’s also a post office; she jumped off the horse, and ran inside the building. Like I said, I was desperate so … I climbed on the horse, and I tried to run away with it,” Lois says, earning a wide look from Lucy and a chuckle from Carter. “I figured if I could go far enough, I’d sell the horse and start over. I mean, it truly was an awesome horse, purebred mustang, I would have made a fortune from it.” 

“I really liked that horse,” Cat sighs at the memory. 

“What happened to the horse?” Lucy asks, slightly alarmed.

“Oh he died of old age, don’t worry,” Lois retorts, messing with Carter’s hair again. The young boy groans but doesn’t move and Cat knows it’s because he secretly likes it. “Anyway, I was barely two miles away when the horse just stopped, and then tried to buck me off. I was so pissed, I swear!” 

The way Lois tells the story truly makes it feel real Cat thinks, noticing the fascination in Lucy’s eyes.

“Then, before I even knew it, he started running back in the direction I had just come from. Minutes later, I was in front of the train station again and there was Cat, patiently waiting with her hands on her hips, and a really smug smirk on her lips,” Lois smiles and they exchange a look before she keeps going. “She asked for my name and then inquired of my intentions with her horse. She didn’t seem alarmed or anything, just really amused.” 

“That’s because you didn’t look at all impressive. You didn’t look like anything, back then,” Cat sasses, bringing the stew to the table and starting to serve. “You were ridiculous, with your dirty clothes, your dirty hair, and that stupid shocked look in your eyes.”

“Well, I had just tried to run away, thinking I had a solution for my future, and then your stupid horse brought me back to square one. With the added, very real, possibility of being handed over to the authorities,” Lois sasses back, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, that’s how I met Cat Grant. I told her that I needed money, but that I didn’t want to resort to selling myself. I still don’t know why, but after that, she offered me a job.”

“What? How did it go from you trying to steal her horse to her offering you a job?” Lucy asks, glancing at Cat.

“She was … proud and stubborn, sassy too. It reminded me of how I was when I was her age, and I could tell she could handle herself just fine. She only needed someone to give her a chance, so that’s what I did. First, she was Carter’s babysitter. He was one year old back then, didn’t need much attention, but she basically fell in love with him. Ever since then they’ve been a duo. Case in point,” Cat laughs as Carter steals Lois’ slice of bread.

“First?” Lucy picks up, frowning.

“She became much more than a babysitter. She did a lot of things around the manor: taking care of the horses, of the garden, helping in the kitchen, acting as a bodyguard sometimes too … Over the years, she became a great friend, and now she’s family.” Cat nods, sitting down and inviting everyone to start eating.

“Manor? You lived in a manor?” Lucy wonders out loud, to no one in particular but her eyes still travel back and forth between Lois and Cat.

“We used to live in a really big manor in the south, near Rhodes City, with orchards all around it and a river flowing by the end of the garden,” Cat nods, sounding slightly melancholic. 

“How come you live on this ranch now, what happened?” Lucy asks, tilting her head.

“That’s … a story for another time,” Cat replies, closing off a little. 

Lois reaches out a hand and squeezes her forearm before offering some whiskey. 

This time, Cat doesn’t refuse.

\---

The pouring rain falling on the roof creates a soft and regular background noise that perfectly suits Cat’s mood. It’s soothing and melancholic at once, somewhat peaceful. 

She watches the rain without seeing it, the book she’s been trying to read for the past hour laying on the couch next to her. 

Cat’s been lost in her thoughts too much to focus on it, her mind wandering through her past, and remembering memories she can never really forget. The images are sometimes blurred, but the echoes of familiar voices still linger, along with colors and scents. Carter’s laugh from when he was five years old and being launched in the air by an equally happy Lois. The way the sunlight had hit the manor at the end of a long summer day, all golden hues that warmed up the world in a unique and indescribable way. The heady smell of blooming lilacs during spring, all purple and pink tones arranged in a beautiful vase by the entrance door. The feeling of biting into a juicy, crispy red apple she’d just picked from one of the trees in her orchard.

Cat almost jumps out of her skin when a few knocks on the door break her silent reverie. She lets out a quiet string of swear words before standing up, reaching out for her gun as she goes to the door.

Lois and Carter are out in National Creek and won’t be back for at least five hours so she has no idea who’s at her door. She slowly unlocks and cracks it open, hiding her armed gun behind the wooden panel. 

A man is standing on her porch, drenched with rain.   
His black coat dimly gleams underneath the low light of the day. He’s holding his hat in front of him and there’s a soft, shy smile on his lips as he waves one hand in a greeting gesture. 

“Winslow?” Cat blinks and then widens the door. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting anyone. Please come on in.” 

“Thank you, Miss Grant,” Winslow replies before stepping into the house. “Eve is right behind me, she just went to put the horses in the stable if that’s alright with you?” 

“It’s perfectly alright,” Cat nods with a warm smile. 

She lets Winslow get rid of his boots and gestures for him to go hang his hat and coat by the fire crackling in the living room. Through the windows, she notices Eve’s silhouette, already running toward the ranch. She’s barely visible, under the pouring rain.

“Come on in, Eve,” Cat greets, keeping the door open for the woman to enter. “Come sit by the fire, you look like you could use some warmth.”

Eve’s smile is wide and grateful. Once she’s removed her shoes, she joins her friend by the chimney and sighs with relief.

“Damn weather,” she mumbles as she places her hands in front of the flames. “It’s been raining non-stop for almost five days.”

Cat laughs and brings them some house towels, so they can dry themselves. 

“I’m going to make some coffee,” Cat announces. “Unless you’d rather drink something stronger?” 

“Coffee sounds perfect,” Eve cheerfully replies, with another bright smile. 

Next to her, Winslow is quiet, but still smiling and Cat returns the gesture before disappearing into the kitchen. She comes back minutes later with a pot of coffee and a few cups. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Cat asks, pouring the hot beverage in the cups and handing one to each of her visitors. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy to have some company but it truly is odd weather to travel in …”

Eve returns to stand next to the fire. and Winslow clutches his steaming cup and closes his eyes; a sigh of pure contentment escaping his lips. Cat simply sits back on the couch and slowly blows on her own cup, trying to cool it a little.

“We were already on the road, we’re going back to … camp,” Eve says after a slight pause. Cat has already noticed they all carefully avoid disclosing the location of their base. “We got something for you.”

Cat arches a brow at that, clearly intrigued.

“Win?” Eve prompts, turning her eyes to her friend. 

“Oh, right,” Winslow reacts, opening his eyes again. 

He lets go of his cup with one hand and searches into the chest pocket of his waistcoat. Seconds later, he pulls out a letter. It’s slightly crumpled and a little torn at the corner but it looks dry and in one piece.

“Kara wrote a letter to you,” Winslow smiles as he comes to give her the letter. “We were tasked with delivering it to you, in person.” 

At first, Cat blinks in surprise. She stares in confusion at the thick, slightly yellowish envelope Winslow is handing over and doesn’t react. Eventually though, she can’t contain the wide, genuine smile that spreads on her lips, and she reaches out to take it.

“She did?” Cat wonders, studying the way her name is spread in big but elegant letters across the envelope. The ink is slightly smudged at the top of the C and around the T but the handwriting is beautiful, confident. The letter feels a little heavy in her hand, and the paper is a little rough and scratched, but it’s from Kara. 

“Uhuh,” Eve nods. “It was part of a package she’s sent for the gang, and since your ranch is on our way back …”

“She’s sending you packages?” Cat asks, finally tearing her eyes away from the letter.

“She does, yes. Every now and then, whenever she can, she sends us money, supplies, munitions, food even…” Winslow explains, helping himself to another cup of coffee. “I don’t know how she does it, but it’s really helpful.”

Cat’s heart squeezes in her chest at the affection she can hear in the man’s tone. It’s simple and strong, fiercely loyal too. 

“I miss her,” Eve sighs, sounding sad. 

The longing in her blue eyes is something Cat relates to, intensely so.   
She’s been missing Kara for a long time now and the gunslinger’s absence is only getting heavier with each passing day. It’s something she can’t explain, deep feelings that are as painful as they are exhilarating. The memory of their shared moment in the stables keeps her going most days, but when the night falls, when she’s all alone with her thoughts in her bed, she finds it’s not nearly enough. 

“We should get going,” Winslow eventually breaks the silence that had settled after Eve’s sigh. “We need to reach the camp before nightfall.”

Eve nods and moves away from the fireplace, already retrieving her hat and her coat. Winslow follows her and they both head for the door to put their shoes back on.

“It was a pleasure, Miss Grant. Thank you for the coffee,” Eve smiles, putting her hat on her head while Winslow runs out to get their horses. “If we get more letters, we’ll get them to you as soon as possible.”

“Please, do,” Cat nods, not even bothering with hiding how hopeful she must look. “Do you need anything for the camp? I have some extra blankets or even some food if you’d like?”

Eve shakes her head no and grabs Cat’s hands.

“That’s very kind of you, Miss Grant, but we don’t need anything right now. The thing we needed the most Kara already sent.”

Cat arches a brow and tilts her head, silently asking. Eve looks a little unsure but eventually, she gives in.

“Medicine. One of our …” Eve pauses, eyes darkening a little. “... friends is seriously ill, and the weather’s not helping. We needed some medicine to help and Kara’s sent some, so we’re good.”

Something in the way she talks about the friend sparks a memory in Cat’s mind. She distinctly remembers Kara saying that one of her friends was unwell. It was the very reason they were all staying in the same spot for longer than they should. 

“That … friend of yours,” Cat muses. “How long have they been sick?”

Eve seems to think about it for a little while, but Cat doesn’t know if it’s because she doesn’t know, or if she’s simply trying to figure out how to reply without saying too much.

“They’ve been … unwell for a long time, but lately with the humid weather, it’s taking a toll on their health,” Eve eventually replies, careful to keep her friend’s gender hidden. 

“I see,” Cat nods, choosing not to push for more answers. Winslow’s already coming back with the horses so Cat simply keeps the door open for Eve as she exits.

“We’ll be seeing you, Miss Grant. Take care,” Eve waves her goodbye before stepping down from the porch to join her ride.

Cat watches as their silhouettes disappear behind the pouring rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!
> 
> A lot of things happening in the supercat tag lately, it warms my heart! I hesitated but eventually, I decided to go ahead with the update, since I only update every two Friday ... So here you go! It's rather heavy with plot but it does help the fic along, and we learn more about the Lane sisters!
> 
> Hope you like it!
> 
> _As always, reviews are nice_


	6. CHAPTER 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING :  The second part of this chapter has a lot of **implicit mentions of uncomfortable topics** ( _rape, violence, torture, psychological trauma ..._ )  
>   
> I did my best to keep it implicit and to never go into details but just so you know, be careful.

_Dear Miss Grant,_

_I’ve been thinking about sending you a letter for a while now.  
Unfortunately, life on the run doesn’t offer much peace and quiet so I’m afraid my words will be spread out over multiple days._

_I’m doing alright, all things considered.  
I’ve been traveling, wandering around in the country and trying to stay out of trouble. As you can probably tell from our first few encounters, I ain’t too good at that …_

Cat lets out an amused chuckle at that.

_The best part of being on the run is the landscapes I get to see. It’s such a beautiful, yet unforgiving, country we live in._

_I traveled through a forest with trees so tall I couldn’t see the tops. It’s a most curious feeling, to ride underneath a foliage so high, so dense. It felt suffocating and frankly, a little disturbing. I’m a simple gal and I need to see the sky above my head, to get a sense of where I come from, of where I’m going. I felt lost, in that strange place. I was more than happy when we got out of it._

_There’s something to be said about the canyons, in the west. Their strange shapes, their unusual colors, the cactuses that grow and sprout all around them without any law, any order. It’s harsh and brutal and hostile, like a giant and colorful graveyard. Still, when the sun disappears, when the night settles in … I’ve never seen the stars so clearly before. It’s breathtaking, how they form a myriad of little twinkling dots, all high up in the sky._

_I’ve seen some lakes that are so blue it looks like a piece of a summer sky got caught within it. It’s the world upside down, really. The water there is limpid, translucent and so fascinating! The spots are hidden from the world, tucked away in some of the highest, most unassailable mountains I’ve ever climbed but the journey there is worth it. It made me think of Carter, so much blue._

Cat’s heart skips a beat and then races in her chest, tears gathering behind her eyelashes. The feelings are so strong she closes her eyes, to take a breath. The words are acting like a balm, soothing the emptiness of Kara’s absence. Yet at the same time, they’re only making it worse. She wishes she could see Kara’s face and read Kara’s eyes as she wrote the last line on the paper. 

_I trust the young lad’s fine, what with Lois and yourself watching over him. He looks a lot like you, you know? He has that defiant look in his eyes sometimes, the same you get when you don’t agree with something. He’s brave like you and loyal like your friend Lois. I hope I’ll get the chance to know him a little better, if I come back._

The ‘if’ in the last sentence makes Cat frown. The mere idea of Kara never coming back breaks her heart and awakens a deep feeling of uneasiness. She swallows against the thick lump in her throat and keeps reading.

_Life on the run ain’t easy, but I like to think the things I get to see are worth the trouble.  
Alex disagrees, though. She acts all tough and uncaring but she’s got a big heart, my sister. I think she worries too much, about what could happen to us and to the ones we left behind, to the gang. I do too, don’t get me wrong, but I know that as long as Maxwell Lord is chasing me, he’s not doing any harm to the people I hold dear._

_When I first realised he was lurking around your ranch it drove me so mad I could have gone to find him; to kill him once and for all. It took all of Alex’s diplomacy and reasoning faculties to smack some sense into me, and again; that ain’t easy to do. I finally came up with the idea of going back on the run, to lure him away from both your ranch and the camp. She wasn’t happy about it, not in the least, but we all reached the conclusion that it was the best solution._

_He’s been chasing after me for years, I’m sure you know that by now. He’s … an extremely dangerous man, cleverer than most, good with guns, but even more so with words. He gets his strength from manipulating people, getting them to do most of his dirty work, but still … when he gets personally involved, it’s ugly. I’ve seen the damages up close, I know what the man is capable of and I couldn’t let him get too close to you and your family._

Cat can almost feel the intensity of Kara’s feelings. The way Kara cares, so deeply, about Carter, about Lois and about her. It practically bleeds through the words like the ink she used to write the letter. 

_It’s been a long week since I last wrote in this letter, I hope you’ll forgive the pause._

Cat wonders why Kara stopped writing for so long. She hopes nothing bad happened. 

_The weather’s been nice lately. Late winter, early spring. The wild horses are out again, running free across the lands. I’ve got my eyes set on a majestic black and white mustang. He’s a beautiful stallion, at the head of a whole herd of wild horses, muscular, skittish, incredibly fast. Kal doesn’t run that fast but he has more stamina, we’ll get him. I’m going to capture him, tame him and then maybe sell him. I think there’s a bunch of soldiers that would be interested in such an animal at the Fort, it’ll make good money._

_Alex says it’s risky but what else can we do? It’s not like we can settle, take a job for a while, earn some dollars the right way. My face is put on more posters every day and Alex is getting some unwanted attention as well. She’s managed to go unnoticed until now, I’m guessing someone talked and sold her out. Maybe Maxwell, maybe that new sheriff in your town or maybe someone else entirely.  
After all, mine is a life full of enemies; some of which even started out as friends. _

Cat’s heart aches at those words. She can only imagine the betrayal, the tension lining Kara’s words, the heaviness of the scars it left on her soul. 

_The sun is falling down behind some faraway mountains as I write. The sunlight is all gold and orange, it’s beautiful._

_It reminds me of the color of your hair, that day at the lake. I was standing atop the hill and the distance between us was significant, but it’s the first thing I noticed since you weren’t wearing your hat. There were sunbeams dancing in your hair and it looked like a halo, one made of liquid gold. That’s what made me stay, you know?  
I almost made the gang turn back that day. I didn’t know if Lois could take the truth about her sister, and I didn’t want to risk our gang being exposed to any more dangers.  
But then I saw you, and the rest is history._

Her heart is beating frantically against her chest and Cat has to take a deep breath before she can continue reading.

_My most precious memories, what keeps me going every time we reach a new low, are the ones I have of you. I realise it may be a little too much to put in a letter, that you might not feel the same way after all this time spent apart but I can’t stop thinking of you.  
I vividly remember the way your lips taste underneath mine. I’m sure there’s a blush coloring my cheeks as I write those words but I can’t help it. I see the hazel of your eyes in the green moss of every forest we cross and every sunset reminds me of you, only it pales in comparison to your smile. I also hear the sound of your laugh sometimes, before Alex calls me out on my daydreaming._

_I miss you._

Cat feels a sob escape her lips and shake her whole body.  
She’s smiling from ear to ear, over the moon to read those words but there are also tears streaming down her face, for Kara’s absence suddenly feels unbearable. 

_I miss you more than I can say, more than I can explain. I don’t have the right words and it’s frustrating, but I have to trust that one day, I will be able to show you. I have to believe that somewhere in our future, we will be able to make time for ourselves, to get to know each-other first and to truly be together. I know I’m not making any sense, but being with you is … like fate, like destiny. It feels as natural as the sun rising up every morning, and setting down every evening, it’s as simple as the moon and the stars and the rain. I have faith that one day, it will all work out._

_I sure hope you do too._

Cat nods through her tears, a soft smile forming on her lips. She’s aware that she is all alone in her bed, reading a letter by the candle light but she still nods, as if the expression of her belief can make it more real. 

_I shall keep holding you dearly in my memories, until we meet again._

_So long, Miss Grant._

_Kara Danvers. ___

__\---_ _

_  
_

__Late spring graces the world with bright, warm days, the sun playing hide and seek behind the few clouds in an otherwise pure blue sky. The air smells like fresh flowers and drying dust, with just a hint of wood._ _

__Cat hangs out another sheet on the washing line behind the ranch, next to the few she’s already hung. She likes the fresh soap scent that wafts off the clean fabric but the way the sunlight is hitting the white sheets is hurting her eyes, making her frown._ _

__“Mom, Lois says the sheriff is back to talk to you,” Carter’s voice echoes behind her. “They’re on the porch, at the front.”_ _

__Cat glances over her shoulder and notices the frown above her son’s eyes, beneath the edge of his hat. He looks concerned._ _

__“Now what,” Cat mutters under her breath. “Alright. Take over for the few remaining sheets, sweetheart. Make sure to properly stretch them, to avoid any wrinkles.”_ _

__Carter looks like he wants to protest but when Cat arches a brow at him, he relents and nods. In a few steps, he comes to take her place and bends over to pick up the sheet from the basket._ _

__“It smells nice!” Carter smiles, raising the freshly clean fabric to his nose._ _

__“It’s called doing laundry, yes ... “ Cat sasses before she drops a kiss on his cheek. “There’s only three or four left, and then you can go hunt with Lois once you’re done.”_ _

__She leaves him to take care of the laundry, strides across the house and comes out on the other side, where Lois is handing a glass of water to the sheriff._ _

__“Sheriff,” Cat greets, coming to stand next to him along the railing of her porch. “To what do I owe the pleasure today?”_ _

__“You never told me your friend here was Lois Lane,” Hank replies right away, a clear accusation._ _

__Cat frowns and then narrows her eyes, exchanging a knowing glance with Lois.  
Hank is sharp and far from stupid, he’s probably connected the dots between the Olsen estate tragedy and Lois’s last name. _ _

__“How is my identity relevant to you?” Lois asks, sounding both gruffy and suspicious._ _

__“It’s not,” Hank replies. “It must be some strange yet funny coincidence that you’re somehow linked to Maxwell Lord too …”_ _

__“How so?” Lois pushes, crossing her arms over her chest, defiantly looking into Hank’s eyes._ _

__“That story about the Olsen estate, which happened seven years ago, the one I told Miss Grant about …” Hank slowly enunciated. “The victim was your sister, am I right?”_ _

__Lois grits her teeth and swallows, hard. Cat marvels a little at how easy it is for Lois to summon her trauma, to show such an affected face to the sheriff. Then again, the trauma had been, and still was real, despite Lucy being alive. The scars are still fresh and sensitive, scattered across Lois’ very soul._ _

__“Yes,” Lois retorts, through her clenched jaw._ _

__Hank studies Lois closely, soulful brown eyes lingering around her tensed jaw and pursed lips before they meet her burning green eyes._ _

__“I’m sorry,” he finally offers, tilting his head. “I didn’t mean to bring back painful memories. I’m simply surprised you’re connected to … pretty much everything.”_ _

__The slight pause he marked deepens Cat’s frown._ _

__“Do you have … news, regarding that investigation of yours?”_ _

__“I do,” Hank nods, taking the time to finish his glass of water before he continues. “It’s … a lot, maybe we should sit down for that.”_ _

__Lois shakes her head._ _

__“I’m not staying, I’m going hunting with Carter.”_ _

__Hank seems about to say something but decides against it. He shrugs and focuses on Cat, who sighs._ _

__“I’m beginning to think moving here was a mistake,” Cat mutters. “We’re getting way too many visitors, for supposedly deserted land.”_ _

__She gestures for Hank to follow her into the house while Lois makes her way to the stables._ _

__“Make yourself comfortable, I’ll make us some coffee,” Cat says once they’re both in the kitchen._ _

__Hank sits at the table and places his hat next to him, quiet until Cat puts a steaming cup in front of him._ _

__“Thank you, Miss Grant. I’m truly sorry for intruding,” He apologizes and Cat nods, appreciating the gesture. “I’ve been tracking down a few leads about the mysterious Luthor case.”_ _

__“Why are you still investigating that murder, sheriff? It happened a year ago, how is it still relevant today?” Cat cuts him off, sitting in front of him with a glass of water._ _

__Hank seems to consider the question.  
He looks tired, Cat notices. His eyes are injected with blood and the circles underneath are deep and dark. He’s lost some weight since the last time he came and his shirt looks slightly too big for him now, underneath the brown waistcoat. _ _

__“Lex Luthor was a sheriff, Miss Grant. A man of law, like me. I won’t let his murderer get away with it,” Hank replies and even though it makes perfect sense, Cat can feel it’s not the real answer. “Besides … I have a feeling this particular case is the key to a much bigger one, one that involves both Kara Zor-El and Maxwell Lord.”_ _

__That gets Cat’s attention and she narrows her eyes at Hank._ _

__“See, the leads I’ve followed in the last few months …” Hank pauses and frowns. “I found a witness, someone who was in the area the night of the murder.”_ _

__Cat can’t hide her surprise. “A witness? A year later? Why did that person never come forth?”_ _

__Hank smiles but it’s distant and a little forced._ _

__“She’s … a kid,” Hank explains and Cat feels her heart break in her chest. “A girl younger than your son I believe.”_ _

__“Oh my gosh,” Cat breathes, a hand on her heart. She can’t begin to imagine what the girl saw but given what she already knows, it must have been an awful, traumatic event._ _

__“She’s … wildly unreliable most of the time,” Hank says, a slight tremor betraying his feelings. “The things she saw that very night left her in a really fragile state, psychologically and emotionally speaking.”_ _

__“Oh gosh, that poor girl …” Cat repeats. “How did you find her? You said she is unreliable, what did you learn from her then?”_ _

__“Her name is Ruby and I found her almost by chance,” Hank replies, shaking his head as if to try to focus. “I heard a doctor, in a town near the area where Lex was assassinated, talk about a child who sometimes had crazy episodes that caused her to scream strange things about blue indians, dark ghosts and a strange woman with hair as black as a crow’s feathers.”_ _

__“Lena,” Cat whispers, heart dropping in her chest._ _

__“That’s what I thought, yes,” Hank nods. “I asked about that child and the doctor, after some convincing on my part, gave me her address. I introduced myself to the mother, a woman named Samantha Arias, and explained the reason for my visit.”_ _

__“That must have gone well,” Cat sasses but there’s no bite to it. She feels heartbroken for a woman she doesn’t even know, whose child saw unspeakable evils that will leave her traumatised for the rest of her life._ _

__“It got me shot at, yes,” Hank nods but he doesn’t look affected by that particular development. “I can understand why …”_ _

__He pauses again and takes a sip of coffee, taking his time to enjoy it before speaking again._ _

__“I eventually got to talk to the child and while most of her words seemed like crazy talk, I still isolated a few details that shed some light on the scene I’ve described the last time I came. The blue Indians, which I’m guessing are the Inze, came but the dark ghosts chased them away. I don’t exactly know who the dark ghosts are but they had guns and rifles, from the sounds Ruby described. They probably shot at the Indians to make them run away. ”_ _

__Cat frowns and tilts her head, trying to make sense of everything Hank was saying._ _

__“The bounty-hunters, maybe? They have navy-blue coats and depending on the light, it could have looked black …” Cat muses, thinking out loud. “Did you manage to find when exactly the whole scene took place? At which moment during the day?”_ _

__“Funny you should ask …” Hank replies, looking at her with an unreadable look in his eyes. “Ruby mentioned some moving fires, casting long shadows, creating the ghosts. Which makes me think it happened at night, same conclusion you just reached …”_ _

__“Basic deduction skills,” Cat shrugs, not breaking eye contact with the sheriff. “If the girl said dark ghosts, it’s because she didn’t properly see them …”_ _

__“Why not the Kryptonite gang, then?” Hank confronts, eyes gleaming with suspicions._ _

__“An all women gang?” Cat ironically asks, rolling her eyes. “Why would they torture and kill Lex Luthor before kidnapping Lena Luthor? From what I know, they’re mostly trying to stay out of trouble … Besides, I think Ruby would have said something if it had been women.”_ _

__Hank stays quiet for a little while. Cat doesn’t try to break the silence._ _

__“Kara Zor-El has been spotted in most of the strange cases I talked about. The Olsen tragedy, the Rojas massacre … and if I correctly interpreted Ruby, in that specific setting too.”_ _

__Cat feels something cold course along her spine at these words._ _

__“She spoke of a woman with golden hair, riding full speed on a dusty beast. It’s a little hazy and I’m not sure I understood everything but apparently, the golden haired woman found the black-haired one and carried her back to the dusty beast. They disappeared into the shadows. I tried to press for more details but I only managed to confirm that this specific scene occurred after … everything else.”_ _

__The pause makes Cat wonder what the child said. She must have witnessed Lex’s torture and the murder, at the very least, but there’s something else in Hank’s tone. It’s subtle and almost imperceptible but there, beneath the heaviness and the seriousness._ _

__“What … what did she see, exactly?” Cat whispers, not entirely sure she wants to know the answer to that question._ _

__“Horrors,” Hank replies, his voice low and grave. “She … She saw evil. It’s the right word. She’s witnessed things I’m not sure how any human being could be capable of.”_ _

__He looks very pale, all of a sudden. Cat wants to backtrack but it’s too late, the sheriff keeps talking._ _

__“Lena Luthor … The dark ghosts did things to her Ruby couldn’t fully express but I … got the idea. She spoke about screams, cries, and pleas that made her ears bleed. She said the dark ghosts laughed all along. She threw up, after telling me this.“_ _

__Cat feels nauseous herself. She’s clutching to her glass so hard it’s a wonder it doesn’t break. She takes a deep breath and then another one, until she can bring herself to speak again._ _

__“What about … Lex?”_ _

__“He was …” Hank swallows and shakes his head again. “He was conscious, the whole time. Ruby couldn’t talk about what he went through but when the dark ghosts killed him, Lena wasn’t screaming anymore.”_ _

__“Oh my gosh,” Cat breathes, fighting against a new wave of nausea. “What was she doing in the area? She’s just a child, how did she happen to … how could …”_ _

__“Her mother says Ruby was a very energetic child, before that tragic night. Samantha is a single mother, she works in the general store in that nearby town where I met the doctor, the one who told me about them. She wasn’t home that night and I’m guessing Ruby was wandering around … She was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. It … broke her.”_ _

__Cat closes her eyes and swallows, hard. She takes a sip of water but it feels like swallowing rocks and she coughs before focusing back on the sheriff._ _

__“What do you think happened?” Cat asks, trying to chase the horrible images that keep invading her mind._ _

__“I think the bounty-hunters are the criminals behind Lex’ murder,” Hank says without missing a beat, a sparkle of pure anger flaring in his brown eyes. “I can add rape, torture and a good number of crimes to their record but I can’t prove anything, not yet. I don’t know about Kara Zor-El. I think maybe she took Lena away to try to save her or to offer her some … mercy, but I can’t be sure.”_ _

__Cat thinks back on the friend Kara spoke about, the one who was unwell and the very reason she’s stayed around for so long. She remembers what Eve explained about said friend, how they have been sick for a long time but it only got worse with the weather. Everything makes sense now. She knows, she just knows, that it’s Lena._ _

__“It’s not exactly like you could ask her, is it?” Cat muses, trying to sound sarcastic and failing. She’s too affected by all she’s just learned and the nausea doesn’t go away._ _

__“Actually … I’d like to have a chat with her,” Hank says and he sounds genuine. Cat narrows her eyes at him but doesn’t detect any lie in his eyes. “I need to ask her some questions and I can’t do that without meeting her.”_ _

__“I’m not sure she’ll agree to such a meeting, with you being the sheriff and her face being on every most-wanted poster around …” Cat replies, not hiding the irony in her tone._ _

__She’s putting on a neutral face but the truth is, it worsens her uneasiness to think of Kara sitting down in front of Hank._ _

__“I’d be willing to meet her on her own terms, if she can give me some answers.” Hank says, looking right into Cat’s eyes. “I know she’s been spotted around your ranch a few times. It doesn’t take a genius to know you have some kind of privileged relationship. Will you tell her I want to meet her, the next time you see her?”_ _

__“No,” Cat shakes her head. ”First, I don’t have any relationship with Kara Zor-El and secondly, even if I had … I wouldn’t drag her into what seems to be a trap. I don’t trust you won’t try to imprison her. She’s a most-wanted criminal and you’re … a man of law, as you so eloquently said yourself. ”_ _

__Hank seems on the verge of saying something, anger gleaming in his eyes, but he closes his mouth and shrugs instead._ _

__“I guess … that’s fair. I’ll find her myself,” Hank says and Cat doesn’t like the slight threat she can hear in his tone. “I guess I should get going. I have another few leads I want to explore.”_ _

__Cat doesn’t ask, this time. She doesn’t want to drag the conversation on._ _

__“Thank you for your time and for the coffee, Miss Grant,” Hank says, grabbing his hat as he stands up. He’s still massive and imposing, despite his weight-loss. “ I’m sorry I imposed myself on you. Have a nice day.”_ _

__He leaves the kitchen without waiting for her to show him out but she still follows after him and watches as he climbs on his horse._ _

__“I’m not the bad guy in this story, Miss Grant, I hope you know that,” Hank says from atop his horse. He looks almost sad, beneath the edge of his hat. “I’m simply trying to find some justice in this world.”_ _

__“I know,” Cat replies, softly. “You’re only doing your job, but I don’t want to be your accomplice. I’ll answer any question you might have but don’t ask me to actively participate.”_ _

__“Fair enough,” Hank nods and raises two fingers to his hat. “Goodbye, Miss Grant.”_ _

__“Be safe, sheriff.” Cat replies, watching as he rides away._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!
> 
> A heavy chapter for sure, with the plot(s) thickening!
> 
> Also, congrats to all of you who guessed about Lena being Kara's sick friend! I didn't make it too easy, so you really are detectives in your own ways! 
> 
> I hope you're still onboard and liking the fic, because in two weeks you'll get some hot action between those two hopeless women. If you ever want to talk about the fic, I'm on [Tumblr](https://lost-your-memory.tumblr.com/) and on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/GaneWhoo).
> 
> _As always, reviews are nice_


	7. CHAPTER 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING : smut ahead, the whole chapter is **explicit** and **nsfw**.

The almost summer breeze wafting through her open windows is so light and soft that it doesn’t even blow out the few candles in her bedroom. The flames are sometimes waving dangerously, diminishing the dim glow they project in the room but they never completely fade, and Cat is bathed in their flickering light. 

She’s sat at the desk pushed against the wall next to the door, and the gentle scratching of her pen against the rough paper is the only audible sound, sometimes troubled by the owling of a bird outside.

She’s lost in the letter she’s been writing for a few days, so much so that when a horse neighs outside, she doesn’t register it at first. It’s a familiar noise, not too strange in this setting and despite knowing no horse is supposed to be outside at this time of night, it doesn’t startle her.

It’s only when she hears a loud swear and a crashing sound that she jumps out of her skin and instinctively reaches for the gun she keeps in the drawer of her desk. She almost sends her chair flying backward as she turns to face the source of the noise.

“What the fuck?” Cat mutters, aiming her gun at the empty space beyond her open window. The wooden planks of the roof creak under an unknown weight and a grunting sound, followed by another swear, echo in the night.

Eventually, a familiar voice rises in the darkness.

“Don’t shoot!” 

Cat’s eyes go wide as she recognises the voice. She puts down her gun.

“Kara?” Cat calls, tentatively approaching her window.

“Yes, it’s me, please don’t shoot,” Kara replies, sounding out of breath. 

The grunting starts again and eventually, the gunslinger hoists herself onto the edge of the roof, the white of her shirt contrasting with the darkness of the night. She slowly stands up and brushes the front of her waistcoat before adjusting her hat on her head. 

“Pray tell, what’s wrong with my front door?” Cat arches her brow, placing her hands on her hips as she watches Kara take a tentative step in her direction. “You do know humans don’t fly, right?”

Kara groans and shakes her head, taking another couple of steps. The wood underneath her feet hisses in protest but doesn’t give and eventually, Kara climbs through the window and lands in Cat’s bedroom.

“Good evening to you too, Miss Grant,” Kara sasses, already removing her hat as she stands back up. It makes her wild golden locks fall and bounce on her shoulders and suddenly, the room is brighter from the way the candle’s flames reflect in Kara’s hair. Cat can’t take her eyes off of her. “I didn’t want to disturb the rest of the house by knocking.”

Cat smirks and arches a brow at Kara.

“Because climbing onto my roof and trying for my windows is a … what, quieter option? You’re lucky Carter and Lois are gone on a hunting trip ...”

“I really thought it’d be less noisy … I’m clearly out of shape,” Kara mutters, somehow regretfully. 

Drinking in the sight of her, Cat can’t help but to shake her head. 

Kara’s standing tall and broad near the open windows and her dark blue-jeans, which are falling on her dusty, black boots, are stretched over nothing but muscle. Kara’s clean white shirt is tucked in beneath a black belt and covered by a deep-blue satin waistcoat, the nice kind. She has the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and it shows off her muscular forearms. The collar is open on her collarbones, on which the flickering light of the room is throwing shadows, highlighting the bones. She’s even more sun-tanned than when she left and her skin glows in that indescribable way that is typical of youth and an outdoor existence. 

“Out of shape, right ...” Cat sasses, stepping forward and inhaling the peppermint scent that hangs in the air around the gunslinger. She looks up into Kara’s baby blue eyes and smiles, whispering “You’re back.”

Kara’s smile is wide and blinding when she returns the gesture. 

“Finally! Thank you for noticing,” Kara laughs, reaching out to hold Cat’s face in her palms. “I’ve missed you. So much.”

Cat doesn’t have time to reply before Kara kisses her.

It’s slow and soft, almost hesitant even. Cat can feel the underlined passion but it’s held at bay behind the apparent tenderness of the way Kara tastes her lips. She closes her eyes and presses against Kara’s front, tying her arms around Kara’s waist.

When they break apart, Cat’s a little dizzy and Kara’s eyes are hooded.

“I’ve missed you too,” Cat manages to whisper, head spinning a little. Kara smells like a forest, like the wind atop the trees, the lichen on the trunks, the pure water flowing down the creek, and the peppermint hints are stronger than ever. “How come you’re back?”

Kara’s smile falls and her eyes darken but not from lust this time. Cat feels her heart drop in her chest, for she can see the sadness in the gunslinger’s blue irises.

“My friend … has gotten worse,” Kara whispers. 

Her thumbs brush over the apples of Cat’s cheeks, slow and distracted. It’s a soft gesture but Cat can only see the emotions swirling in the gunslinger’s eyes.

“Her name is Lena Luthor,” Kara sighs, voice low and sad. “I … some terrible things have happened to her. She went through a very traumatic series of events, about a year ago, and she’s gone … crazy.”

“I … know,” Cat brings herself to say, raising a hand to replace a strand of Kara’s hair behind her ear. “I received another visit from the sheriff, a few days ago. He told me about … Lex Luthor’s murder. He’s found a witness who saw what happened to … Lena and her brother. She saw you take Lena away and I connected the dots ...” 

Kara pales, eyes going wide as she stutters “Some-- … one … saw?” 

Cat nods.There is nothing else she can do or say to ease the news and she stays quiet while Kara processes her words.

“Oh my gosh,” Kara whispers after a minute, shock and horror lining her voice. “I can’t … I’ve seen … the damages … It’s …”

“Unspeakable, yes,” Cat supplies, moving closer to Kara. “How is she doing?” 

Kara wraps a hand around Cat’s waist and holds onto it. The weight feels natural, gentle and Kara’s warmth seeps through her nightgown. Cat feels it spread around the touched skin. 

“When I left, she was … improving. Less panic attacks, less anxiety crisis, she was almost able to go through the whole day without getting agitated,” Kara explains, her voice soft and distant. “My departure made things worse and then the weather … she fell ill. Now she’s spending her days in her bed, thrashing in the sheets, with a high-fever and terrible, terrible hallucinations. She … relapsed and I don’t think she …”

Kara trails off, voice breaking. 

“I’m so sorry, Kara. I’m sorry,” Cat whispers, looking up to meet Kara’s eyes. There’s so much loss and sadness in the baby blue irises, it’s unbearable. It gleams in the unreliable candle light, brightening and then diminishing, enhanced to the point Kara’s eyes sometimes look as black as a cloudy night sky. 

“Eve and Winn warned me in their last letter, so I had to come back. I saw for myself when I arrived, last week ...” Kara sighs again, her free hand slowly playing with Cat’s hair.

The words hit her like a slap and Cat recoils at that, frees herself from Kara’s hold.

“You came back a week ago?” Cat asks, feeling a little hurt and betrayed. She’s been missing Kara so much that the fact she could have seen her a week ago awakens her anger. “I’ve been waiting on you for months, worrying about you, and you wait another week before showing up?” 

Kara looks slightly sheepish but it doesn’t help Cat’s anger and resentment.

For weeks since Kara’s last letter, she’s been wondering if Kara was alright, if she was badly injured, captured, or, even worse, killed. She didn’t know about Kara’s whereabouts, and after Hank’s visit a few days ago she’s been living with a terrible feeling coiling her stomach; causing some light panic attacks. 

“I can’t believe this,” Cat takes another step back. “You …”

“Cat,” Kara murmurs and her name echoes like a thunderstorm in the quietness of the night. It’s deafening and loud, so much that it silences her anger for a moment. Kara moves forward and reaches for her face again. “I’m sorry. I am truly, deeply sorry and you’re right. I should have come right away.”

Kara cradles her cheeks and brings their mouths closer. Kara’s palms are a little rough against her cheeks but still surprisingly soft and Cat wonders again how the gunslinger manages to have such smooth skin with her lifestyle. She’s being held by hands that are used to holding guns and rifles, to tame wild horses; their delicacy is a little out of place.

There’s a kiss dropped at the corner of her mouth, tentative but there, before Kara pulls back to meet Cat’s eyes.

“I’m not …” Kara pauses, looking frustrated. “I’ve been on the run for a long, long time, Cat.”

Kara takes a breath and keeps talking, sounding slightly hesitant, unsure.

“Getting attached is a luxury I can’t afford and I’ve never … I’ve never had a real … romantic relationship,” Kara says, looking as if the words were difficult to say. “I’ve had … short adventures, occasional encounters but I’ve never had anyone in my life who … cared that way.”

Cat doesn’t react at first, still feeling a little upset that Kara waited a week before showing up. 

“I’m bound to make … mistakes,” Kara insists, dropping another kiss next to Cat’s lips, closer this time. “Like showing up late, or saying the wrong thing … the truth is, I shouldn’t even be here.”

That makes Cat frown, her anger flaring back up. 

“See, saying the wrong thing …” Kara tentatively smiles and then sighs. 

“Cat,” Kara whispers and again, the name feels like thunder, rumbling around the bedroom like the wind before a storm. “You’re all I could think of, while I was running away and being chased by Lord and his merry men. You, the way you place your hand on your hips when you want to drive a point across, the smug smile on your lips when you know you’re right, which happens a lot …”

Cat can’t help herself, she smiles at this. It’s a small gesture but it seems to be enough for Kara to smile too, widely and genuinely.

“The smell of your hair, like sunshine and rain, the color of your eyes that changes depending on the emotions you’re feeling, the softness of your skin, the barely visible freckles on your nose …” Kara keeps going, one of her hands trailing down to Cat’s jawline, brushing it with the tip of her fingers. 

Kara’s eyes are getting darker again but not with sadness or regret. It’s lust, raw and unadulterated. It sends bolts of arousal down to Cat’s core. Her voice is lower and slower when she speaks again. 

“The echo of your laugh, the curve of your smile and how it lights up your whole face, how it makes your eyes glow …” Kara’s eyes drop to Cat’s mouth and she licks her own lips, seemingly without thinking. It makes Cat’s heartbeat race in her chest. “The taste of your lips too, so addictive.”

The following kiss makes Cat moan, loudly. It’s deep and fierce, demanding. 

Cat steps closer and presses against Kara’s front. She’s drowning in the feeling of Kara’s lips on her, in the way their tongues keep finding each other’s, in that typical scent of wind and dust lined with peppermint. Kara’s hands land on either side of her waist, their weight grounding her into reality and making her feel like she’s flying at once. 

“How are you …” Cat asks as she pulls away, struggling to breathe. Kara’s lips are red and her eyes, dark with want. “How are you such a sweet talker?”

It makes Kara laugh, a little breathlessly. The echo swirls in the air, flickers with the candle light and before it fades, Cat’s kissing her again. 

She tangles a hand in Kara’s golden hair while the other closes around a bicep that flexes and tenses underneath the shirt, making Cat moan again. Kara feels like raw strength under her hands and yet, the way Cat’s being held is almost too gentle, tender and soft. 

There’s a duality to Kara that Cat finds fascinating. It’s like a constant battle between her brusque survival instincts and the gentleness of her kind heart and it drives Cat crazy, because she wants it all. She wants all of Kara.  
It’s exhilarating and terrifying at once. She’s never been so attracted to anyone else before, not even to Lois. It’s a feeling that is deep and strong, that goes beyond the realm of purely physical. It’s a visceral pull at the strings of her heart and she doesn’t know if she can resist. She doesn’t want to.

Kara breaks away from her lips and trails along her cheek, landing right below her ear. Cat lets out a ragged gasp when Kara’s tongue applies just the tiniest pressure on the very soft patch of skin. It sends waves of heat down between her legs and she gasps again, louder this time. She wasn’t even aware it was one of her sensitive spots, though she suspects it has more to do with Kara than anything else. 

The sound of a horse neighing, coming through the windows, takes them both by surprise. It’s loud and foreign, in the middle of their ragged breaths and muffled moans. 

Kara pulls away, obviously startled.  
She looks as if she’s coming out of a trance, with her eyes unfocused and glazed, her hair slightly mussed and her lips still glistening with every flicker of the candle light. She’s beautiful and wild and the sight of her makes Cat’s heart race even faster in her chest.

There’s something fragile in Kara’s attitude though, the way she keeps glancing at the open windows, the twitch in her fingers and the overall restless energy radiating from her whole body. Cat can sense that Kara’s running instincts, so deeply ingrained in her nature, are taking over.

“Stay with me,” Cat asks, pleads really, already reaching for Kara’s hands. She intertwines their fingers and squeezes, searching for Kara’s eyes. “Please, stay ...”

She all but drowns in Kara’s ever blue eyes when they finally meet hers.  
There are waves of emotions riding tides of want and lust in those incredibly blue irises, but there are sprinkles of doubts and hesitations, reserve. It’s an ocean, wild and free and almost shy at once. 

“I really shouldn’t, you know?” Kara whispers, sounding torn but not retreating. Cat takes all she can get and she tightens her hold on the gunslinger’s fingers. “Having someone worth risking it all … it’s dangerous.”

Kara’s voice is a little hoarse, low. Goosebump rises across Cat’s skin.

“Am I?” Cat whispers in return, surveying the emotions in the gunslinger’s eyes. “Worth risking it all?”

Kara kisses her, deep and slow. Cat’s a little unsteady when Kara breaks away.

“And so much more,” Kara nods, her eyes shining with all the feelings she’s trying to express. It’s raw, intense, it swirls and dances in rhythm with the flickering candle lights but it’s there. It’s certain, solid, grounding. “So much more …”

Cat lunges.  
She drops Kara’s hands and winds her arms around Kara’s neck, kissing her as if there was no tomorrow. She closes her eyes and abandons herself to Kara’s arms when they close around her. Kara tastes like mint but it doesn’t hide the hints of cheap Brandy Cat can still savor as the kiss deepens. 

She barely registers Kara’s hands. At least, not until one of the straps of her nightgown falls from her shoulder. 

Kara’s lips leave hers and she almost protests at the loss, but when they land on her collarbone, right at the base of her throat, and suck, Cat moans. The faintest echo of a chuckle floats in the bedroom before Kara follows the line of the bone toward the naked shoulder. Slowly, Kara uses her tongue to play, applying pressure and flicking the tip of it against all the right spots. Her teeth graze around the valleys above and under the shapely bone, and her lips open and close to trace the hollows and hills around the collarbone. 

One of Kara’s hands comes to circle Cat’s wrist and she gently guides it to the first button of her waistcoat while she keeps exploring the exposed skin with her mouth. Cat understands the message and brings up her other hand to start unbuttoning the vest. She’s distracted every time Kara bites into her flesh and then kisses the slight pain away but she eventually sends the waistcoat flying to the floor and gets started on the shirt underneath. 

The skin she unveils is tanned, stretched over an exquisite framework of muscles. As Cat keeps undoing the shirt, she slowly notices the scars marring the ribs, the waist, the top of the chest, the hip. The flames around the room throw a strange light on them, making them look like snakes dancing on Kara’s skin. The lines are either white, or still a little red and bulgy underneath Cat’s fingertips, showcasing the most recent additions. 

Kara’s skin tells a story, and Cat almost forgets about Kara’s lips on her shoulder. 

She stares and touches, fascinated by the muscles tensing underneath her hand. The scars she can feel under the tip of her fingers add a strange relief to the otherwise surprisingly smooth and warm skin. 

“See something you like?” Kara breathes, smirking against the side of Cat’s neck. 

“Oh, very much so,” Cat replies with a smile of her own, lazy but slightly predatory. 

Her palm trails down to the defined abdomen and her breath catches when she senses the muscles twitch and roll against it. She can practically feel the raw power, right there beneath the soft, tanned skin. 

“Hm,” Kara lets out a deep sigh and then tilts her head, eyes traveling down Cat’s silhouette. The gaze is heavy with want and lust. The hooded and unabashed staring makes Cat feel the heat run through her body. “My turn.”

Before Cat can process, Kara reaches out and pushes the other strap down.  
The nightgown instantly falls and pools around Cat’s feet, leaving her to stand completely naked in front of Kara.

She doesn’t miss how Kara’s eyes grow wider and darker at once, how they travel down her form and stare at the swell of her breast, the dip of her waist, the planes of her abdomen and then lower. Cat sees the raw hunger in Kara’s eyes as they linger on the exposed and slightly glistening curls gathered in between her legs.  
Cat feels incredibly powerful under Kara’s heavy gaze. Her whole body suddenly seems made of heat and lust. She feels desired, wanted, cherished, and above all, safe. 

Emboldened by the wide eyes, by the heaving chest and how Kara seems to be struggling to just breathe, she places her hands on her hips and sways, a smirk blooming on her lips.

“Are you going to keep staring all night?” 

Again, Kara seems to come out of a trance only this time, no instinct to run takes over. Instead, there’s a dangerous gleam in her dark eyes, one that sends another wave of heat down to Cat’s already pulsing core. 

“Well, it’s impossible not to,” Kara retorts, voice hoarse and low and the words almost make Cat blush. “However … I’m not _just_ going to stare.”

Cat tilts her head and arches a brow, trying to ignore the way her heart is frantically beating in her chest, in sync with the persistent throbbing between her legs. 

“No?”

“No.” Kara replies, sure and determined. The hunger in her eyes is raw and blunt, dark despite the glow of the candles reflecting in her irises. She takes a step forward. 

“I want you,” Kara adds, the words echoing in the air around them. “All of you.”

This time, Cat can’t refrain the slight whimper that escapes her lips. She’s never felt that way in her life before, all so powerful and yet so vulnerable at once. It’s like she is flying and falling at the same time but she knows, she just knows, that Kara will catch her. 

She’s not only falling for Kara, she is falling into Kara. 

“Then what are you waiting for?” Cat challenges, swaying a little more, blatantly inviting Kara to move. 

Kara does. She surges forward and kisses her. The kiss is open-mouthed and messy, filled with hunger and need. Cat all but moans into it, hands grasping at Kara’s biceps to avoid losing her balance. Kara’s hands land on either side of her hips, warm palms but with tight fingers that hold her so close it could leave a bruise. 

She feels Kara push at her waist, forcing her to take a step back, then another, and another one until the back of her knees hit her bed. 

Kara stops pushing and breaks away from the kiss. She’s panting and her eyes are aglow with want, somber but still shining like galaxies of stars. Cat’s a little mesmerized. 

“Is this … are you …” Kara stammers a little, eyes searching for something in Cat’s. 

Cat doesn’t answer. 

She reaches out and undoes Kara’s belt, catching it before it falls from the weight of the gun. She lets it slide to the floor before hooking two fingers into Kara’s jeans, pulling her closer. She has to look slightly up to be able to meet Kara’s eyes.

She’s touched and pleased that Kara still asks but she’s never been so sure of anything else in her life. She wants Kara, all of her. They’ve waited long enough already, and she can’t take it any longer. 

“Please,” Cat asks, softly. 

Kara’s smile is wide and carefree, almost blinding.  
It’s the one Cat loves, that causes dimples to appear and makes Kara’s eyes shine even brighter, with little crow's feet gathering at the corners. With her golden curls framing her face and the way her irises are alight, she looks like she’s made of gold and stardust. 

Cat uses her free hand to wrap it around Kara’s neck, forcing the gunslinger to lean down for a kiss. 

She takes her time to make Kara moan before playfully biting into her bottom lip, strongly enough to elicit a whimper.  
The moment the kiss breaks, she trails down along Kara’s jawline, and then follows the side of her neck, stopping just long enough to nip at the pulsing point there. The frantic rhythm of Kara’s heart drums under the tip of her tongue. It makes her smile against Kara’s skin, to know she’s not the only one losing herself in this. 

“You don’t play fair,” Kara groans as her hands tighten around Cat’s waist, making her gasp.

Kara keeps brushing her thumbs along her salient hip bones and it’s sending bolts of pure arousal down to Cat’s core. It’s very distracting.

“Says the still half-dressed woman in the room,” Cat banters back, struggling to stay on track. She finds it easier when Kara talks but she still tingles with want and need and the throbbing in between her thighs is getting uncomfortable.

“Well, you do have a few fingers in my pants already ... “ Kara suggests, pulling Cat closer and applying a little more pressure on the hip bones. 

“Good point,” Cat nods, wiggling her fingers against the lower part of Kara’s belly. Again, muscles tense and roll against her knuckles and suddenly, she can’t wait to see Kara naked. Freeing herself from Kara’s hold, she’s quick to undo the button of Kara’s jeans and tugs at them until they fall on the ground. Kara removes her boots without being prompted.

Cat’s eyes hungrily rake along Kara’s legs, taking in the length and the muscles that betray the raw power hidden beneath the tanned skin. She’s seen the horse Kara rides and instantly pictures herself being trapped between those thighs. The images alone are enough to make her swallow, hard. 

“Are you going to stare all night?” Kara asks, mimicking Cat’s earlier position with her hands on her waist and a sway of her hip. 

The flickering light in the room throws shadows on her body. They dance around the scars, glisten across her skin and softly reflect in her blond curls, making her glow.  
She’s still wearing her underwear, a simple white bra that constricts her breasts and matching shorts that cover a little too much for Cat’s liking. 

“You still have too many clothes on,” Cat points out, gesturing to the underwear. 

It’s a wonder she’s able to stay so calm and focused, considering how much she’s buzzing with pent-up energy. She’s desperate for skin on skin contact, for Kara’s hands and mouth on her, for their breath to mingle. She just wants Kara.

Kara must sense it because she gets rid of her underwear without teasing Cat with it. She’s careless as she throws her shorts on the floor next to her jeans and the way she stands in front of Cat is proud and defiant. Inviting.

“Better?” Kara asks, her smirk smug but her eyes alight with need.

“Much,” Cat approves, reaching out to take Kara’s hand to draw her close.  
Their fronts press against each-other and Cat gasps, marveling a little at how warm Kara’s skin still is. Kara’s heaving and her chest rises and falls all too rapidly, her breasts brushing Cat’s own every time she exhales. It’s maddening, to be so close and yet so far away.  
Cat doesn’t even know where to start. 

Kara decides for her when she places a hand between their bodies, her fingers splaying in the middle of Cat’s breast. Her breath hitches and she gasps, wanting so much more but then Kara pushes, with enough strength to make her fall backward.  
A surprised squeal escapes her when she lands on the mattress. Kara’s laugh echoes in the room, melodious and simple, joyful.  
Putting her weight on her elbows, Cat raises herself and watches, breathless, as Kara climbs onto the bed in front of her. Kara takes her time to crawl up Cat’s body, flexing her arms and rolling her shoulders as she comes closer. The way the candle flames dance around the room give her a predatory look, indecently lascivious. She’s smirking and the dark gleam in her eyes sends a shudder down Cat’s spine.

She trembles when Kara lowers herself onto her but instinctively adjusts her weight underneath Kara’s, reaching out to circle the gunslinger’s body with her arms.  
They fit in ways she doesn’t even comprehend, all flushed skin and tangled limbs, and she already aches for more, every fiber of her being seeking Kara’s touch. 

Impatient, she moves a hand up to dig her nails into one of Kara’s shoulders.  
It’s both a warning and a plea. Kara instantly understands. She laughs, the sound reverberating in the spaces between Cat’s ribs, and then drops her head to the crook of Cat’s neck. She’s playful and teasing, offering the faintest brush of her lips, with hints of tongue, before nipping with just the edge of her teeth. 

“Why must you …” Cat breathes against Kara’s ear as the gunslinger leaves a biting mark right under her collarbone. “ … drive me so crazy?”

A chuckle lands on her skin, hot and yet soft. 

“Because …” Kara replies, her voice hoarse and low. “It’s what I do best?”

Cat is tempted to roll her eyes at that but Kara’s hands are suddenly on her, lazily tracing the edge of her hip bones and dangerously lowering to where she’s throbbing. She gasps, loudly, her body already arching into the mattress to seek and guide Kara’s fingers to where she needs them most. 

“And you love it.” Kara finishes, sliding a hand in between Cat’s legs.

“Oh my god,” Cat almost cries, her hips already moving against Kara’s palm, grinding into it really. 

She’s burning with desire, overwhelmed with need, panting with want. She’s half-mad at Kara for being so slow and yet half-relieved that Kara is taking her time. She knows it’s because the moment is infinitely precious and all too rare, Kara wants to enjoy every second of it and despite her current state, Cat does too. 

Kara’s mouth slides down from her shoulder to her breast. Before Cat can process anything, those sinful lips close around one of her tits and the moan she lets out fills the room. It’s loud, raw and earns her a flicker of Kara’s tongue, which elicits another one, louder this time.

Cat doesn’t know where the sky is, or where the ground is, anymore. She only knows Kara.  
Kara’s scent, peppermint and wind, laced with sweat. Kara’s skin, warm and soft despite the scars she can feel against her own muscles. Kara’s lips, full and luscious as they cajole her breast. Kara’s fingers, playfully exploring the wet folds surrounding her pulsing clit. 

She digs the nails of both her hands into Kara’s flesh and spreads her legs further apart before closing them around Kara’s middle. It accentuates the pressure of Kara’s palm against her sex and she lets out another loud moan, hips thrusting and grinding faster. She slides her fingers all the way along Kara’s back, from the shoulders to the small of it, grabs the cheeks and then squeezes, drawing Kara even closer.  
She smirks with satisfaction when she hears the surprised gasp that escapes Kara’s lips but it lands on her freshly-wet tit and the tiny gush of air makes her tremble. 

She can feel Kara’s muscles tighten and harden around her thighs, against her abdomen and behind the palm trapped in between them. She’s acutely aware of everything Kara does and it’s rapidly driving her over the edge, even though it’s still barely more than teasing.

Kara’s lips suddenly leave her breast and crash onto hers, demanding, fierce and passionate. Cat gasps and whimpers into the kiss, her chest heaving to meet Kara’s as her hands fly back to Kara’s shoulders. Kara’s pouring everything into the kiss and Cat needs to anchor herself to not drown.

She breaks away from the kiss the moment Kara’s finger pushes on her pulsing, desperately throbbing clit, and lets out a strangled sound that is half moan, half cry. 

“Fuck,” Cat lets out as Kara keeps stimulating the hypersensitive bundle of nerves.  
It sends waves of white hot pleasure to ripple through Cat’s body, like lava flooding her veins, like flames blazing from her insides and through her skin. Yet, she still wants more. She still needs more. 

“As you wish,” Kara murmurs against the corner of her lips and before Cat can understand what it means, she feels two fingers easily slip into her. It wrenches a relieved sob from her, right before her breath leaves her lungs. She can’t think coherently anymore but her body is acting of its own volition, already thrusting against Kara’s fingers, and pushing them deeper in.  
Kara’s dropping kisses on her face, along her jawline, on her tightly shut eyelids, on her cheeks, on her open mouth, on her forehead. She’s insanely soft and tender with her mouth, while being wickedly indecent with her fingers, the tip of her thumb finding Cat’s clit again and pressing on it with every kiss she gives. 

Cat clenches her hands around Kara’s shoulders, keeping her close, needing her there. Her nails are dangerously dug into soft, yet strong flesh but Kara doesn’t even seem to mind and adds a finger to the two already filling Cat. The throaty moan that breaks away from Cat’s lips is loud and indecent and Kara kisses her right after but Cat’s out of breath. She turns her head away and then lets out another breathy sound when Kara’s mouth lands on that soft, sensitive spot right behind her ear.

The moment Kara pulls out the tip of her tongue to apply some pressure, Cat climaxes.

She violently tenses, her inner walls clenching around Kara’s fingers as pure ecstasy takes over. She sees stars, and a blinding white light behind her close eyelids; Kara’s name spilling out of her lips in a long cry that echoes in the room long after she stops. 

She’s barely climbing down from her orgasm, with her breath slowly returning to her lungs when she opens her eyes, falling into Kara’s. They’re dark and still aglow with so much hunger, it takes her breath away again. The smirk that slowly graces the gunslinger’s lips almost makes her whimper again. 

“I’m nowhere near done …” Kara murmurs, dropping a kiss on Cat’s lips before she brings her glistening fingers to her mouth. 

Cat watches, enthralled, as Kara tastes her. The groan Kara lets out is low and aroused, it sends new waves of need down Cat’s still sensitive core. The gunslinger takes her time to lick and suck every single one of her fingers before leaning forward for a kiss Cat is all too happy to give her. She tastes herself on Kara’s lips and just like that, she’s craving Kara again. 

Kara seems to understand and her hands gently push Cat’s legs. Reluctantly, she unlocks her ankles and frees Kara, watching as the smirk on the gunslinger's lips grows wider and slightly more mischievous.

“You taste so good …” Kara says, dropping another kiss on Cat’s lips before trailing down, down, down. Her mouth travels past the collarbone, follows the plane line in between her breasts, keeps going along the tensed abdomen and then stops on the very sensitive patch of skin, right above her wet and glistening curls. 

“I can’t get enough of you,” Kara breathes against Cat’s skin, making her squirm and whimper. 

She marvels at how easy it is for Kara to make her react. The slightest touch and Cat’s almost begging already. It’s new and a little disconcerting but she’s too wrapped up in Kara to even think about it. 

Her mind goes blank when Kara’s tongue digs into her folds and slowly licks the expanse of her. She’s slow but determined and Cat is already bending in the mattress, seeking more. She grabs the sheet on either side of herself and holds onto it while Kara relentlessly lavishes her with her lips, her tongue and her teeth.  
At some point, Kara’s hands come to push Cat’s thighs away, gently stroking the inside of it and it only aggravates Cat’s state. She’s burning, trembling and whimpering as she thrashes against the mattress, grinding into Kara’s mouth and letting out words she doesn’t even hear over the frantic rhythm of her heart, beating loud in her ears. 

She comes again in Kara’s mouth, Kara’s name rolling off her lips and thundering into the room once more. 

When she opens her eyes, she’s still struggling to breathe and her heart is still too loud in her head. The sight she’s greeted with is almost enough to send her climaxing again but she just blinks and stares as Kara tastes the juice on her lips and around her mouth, looking very pleased. Her chin is dripping, her eyes are dark and still hooded, the smirk on her lips is more smug than ever.  
She’s beautiful, standing on her knees in between Cat’s legs, gloriously naked in the candle light. 

Cat raises herself on trembling arms and lets her eyes linger.

“Enjoying the view, I see,” Kara laughs, smiling. Her golden curls bounce on her naked, broad shoulders and she all but glows. “I do too.”

Kara’s gaze is heavy and heated, burning hot. Cat feels like the most powerful being alive under those eyes. She thinks she could take on the world as long as Kara keeps looking at her that way. 

The world can wait though, because she wants to take on something else. Someone else, more accurately. 

“My turn,” Cat growls, a smug smirk of her own slowly stretching her lips. 

Now that her own physical needs are satisfied beyond her expectations, she wants to give into her other needs, which all involve touching Kara, in any way she can. 

“Come here,” Cat crooks a finger, motioning for Kara to crawl back up. 

Kara does, dropping kisses along the way until she crashes her lips against Cat’s.  
Cat moans into the kiss, tasting herself on Kara’s tongue and arching under Kara’s body as it fits back against her own. 

“Oh no,” Cat shakes her head, breaking the kiss the moment she feels Kara’s hands returning to her all too sensitive core. 

Kara laughs against her jawline but Cat doesn’t let the sound distract her this time. She pushes against Kara's shoulders and lets out an appreciative hum when the gunslinger obliges and flips. She throws a leg around Kara’s waist and straddles her, leaning forward to kiss her again. 

It’s meant to be blunt and raw but then Kara reaches out and holds her face close, thumbs brushing against Cat’s cheeks. The tenderness in the gesture makes Cat swoon a little and the kiss morphs into a slower one, lined with affection. 

She almost forgets about her goal until Kara’s abdomen tenses and rolls against her still wet and sensitive sex. A loud moan escapes her and she breaks away from the kiss, glaring down at Kara. The gunslinger doesn’t even look sheepish, just full of mischief as she does it again. 

Cat kisses her once more and bites down her bottom lip, hard enough to hurt. A muffled whimper echoes in the kiss and Kara’s hands fly from Cat’s cheeks to her waist, holding her close.

“No no no,” Cat growls, pushing away Kara’s hands and pinning them back onto the mattress, on either side of Kara’s head. “You do not get to touch again until I have had my way with you.” 

Cat’s will almost crumbles in the face of Kara’s pout because it’s so damn cute and so tempting, but she shakes her head again and focuses. Her fingers still closed around Kara’s wrists, she lowers her mouth and drags her lips across the side of Kara’s neck. She only stops to nibble at the pulsing point, enjoying the way it makes Kara growl, before she keeps going until her lips close around one of Kara’s tits. 

“Oh fuck,” Kara growls again, half-moaning, half-talking. 

“Not yet,” Cat chuckles, pleased with herself.

She cajoles Kara’s breast with her tongue, her lips and just enough teeth to have the gunslinger squirming under her touch and pushing against her hands. Scooting back, she keeps her hands tight around Kara’s wrists and trails down along the plane of Kara’s abdomen. Kara’s skin tastes like salt and freshwater, with remnants of Cat’s own juice where she’s previously straddled her. It’s addictive and arousing but it’s not nearly enough.

Looking back up, she falls into Kara’s dark blue eyes. For a moment, she forgets about what she wants to ask, captivated by the way the flames around them dance on Kara’s face, along the side of her jaw, across her cheeks, on the tip of her nose, the side of her temple.  
She can see the fire in Kara’s eyes.

“If I release you, can you promise not to touch?” Cat finally asks, arching a slightly threatening brow. 

“I … can promise to try,” Kara offers, eyes ablaze with need and lust. “I can’t promise not to touch, Cat. I’ve wanted to do that for far too long to hold back.” 

Cat shudders, trembling under the weight of Kara’s words, and comes back up to kiss Kara. It’s fierce and raw and Kara moans into it before Cat breaks away.

She releases Kara’s hands so she can use her own to spread Kara’s legs wider. Her palms finally resting against Kara’s glistening inner thighs, she takes a breath and inhales the strong and heady scent that greets her.  
She doesn’t waste her time and lowers her mouth into Kara’s soaked, wet curls.

Kara’s taste explodes in her mouth as she licks and explores, making her hum in appreciation. The loud moan that echoes around tells her Kara is more than ready for her so Cat curls her hands around Kara’s thighs and keeps them apart, to be able to fully ravish the gunslinger.  
She feels Kara tremble under her touch. She squirms and grinds and thrusts against Cat’s mouth and the feeling is insanely addictive. The idea that she’s the one doing this to Kara sends new waves of heat down her stomach and really, she’s a little amazed at how hungry she is for this woman. At some point, hands come to tangle in her curls and press but she doesn't mind. As Kara gets closer and closer to her climax, fingernails scrape against Cat’s scalp until suddenly, she’s not held anymore. 

Kara comes in her mouth, body thrashing on the mattress, legs shivering, hips flying up and Cat’s name is a shout and a growl at once. Cat presses gentle kisses along the side of Kara’s inner thighs as she releases them, crawling back up to Kara. She’s still licking her lips, savouring the remnants of Kara’s taste on it, when Kara wraps a hand around her neck and forces her down into a kiss.

Oh.

The way Kara kisses her sets her whole body afire again. It makes her heart go wild in her chest, her toes curl, and stars start to appear underneath her eyelids, blinking and twinkling with passion.

“I should start resigning myself to the fact …” Kara breathes against her lips after she breaks the kiss “ … that I’ll never get enough of you.”

Cat swoons, still floating from the kiss.

“The feeling is mutual,” She murmurs, dropping a kiss on the side of Kara’s jaw. 

She wriggles her feet and brings the covers up over their sweaty bodies.  
Kara closes her arms around her and Cat adjusts herself to fit against Kara, cuddling into her side while her hand slowly traces lines and circles in between the scars. 

“I’m sorry,” Cat adds after a moment, her breath a little less ragged and her heart finally on its way to a more regular pace. “I’m sorry I got angry at you, especially after everything you explained about Lena.” 

Kara’s fingertips are dancing along her spine, up and down and down and up. It makes her shudder sometimes.

“It’s alright,” Kara whispers, her breath landing on Cat’s forehead. “I should have at least let you know I was back. I didn’t think.”

“Will you …” Cat hesitates, not sure she wants to hear the answer to this question. It’s loaded with insecurities and doubts, despite the hopeful place it comes from. “Will you come back?” 

Kara chuckles, the sound shaking her whole body. Cat just loves how it swirls in the air.

“As if I could stay away,” Kara replies, softly. “I didn’t manage to last more than three months but now I just know I can’t ever leave for so long again. I …”

Kara stops, a frustrated sigh escaping her lips. Cat flattens her palm on Kara’s abdomen and looks up, trying to meet the gunslinger’s eyes.

“Tell me,” Cat murmurs, dropping a kiss under Kara’s chin. 

“I’m drawn to you, in ways I can’t explain,” Kara starts, slowly. Her hand keeps moving along Cat’s spine but it’s distracted, lazy now. “I don’t know why, I don’t know how, but the mere fact we found each other in this hostile world we live in …”

Cat understands the feeling, more than she can ever tell.  
Kara makes her whole and fulfilled in ways she didn’t even think were possible. After years of loneliness, the change is jarring yet terribly addictive. She could see herself falling asleep in Kara’s arms every night, waking up to her every morning, sharing meals and conversations with her throughout the day while raising Carter together.  
It’s a future she doesn’t dare dream of, a utopia she only indulges in when she feels she can’t face reality. 

“I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep, Cat,” Kara adds. “I don’t want to get your hopes high, or mine, but I don’t think I can stay away from you.” 

It makes Cat’s heart soar. 

“I know I should, I know it’s too dangerous, that I’m putting everyone here in danger but …” Kara trails off and then sighs. “Yes, I will come back. For as long as I can, for as long as you’ll have me.”

Cat raises herself on an elbow and uses her other hand to guide Kara’s face to hers. 

“Let’s make it work for as long as we can, then,” Cat murmurs with a smile on her lips. 

She kisses the gunslinger with all the love she can’t express.  
It’s too soon, it’s too heavy, they’re not ready. They’re still so new, so fresh and so fragile; with Kara’s running away instincts, and Cat’s walls coming from years of solitude and marginalization. She wants nothing more than to blurt out the words, they’re on the tip of her tongue every time she’s met with those mesmerizing blue eyes, but she will hold onto them until the right time comes.

“Sounds like a plan,” Kara nods, eyes a little glazed after the kiss. 

“Stay the night?” Cat asks, sounding hopeful.

Kara nods and kisses her again, slow and tender.  
Cat melts into the kiss, pressing further into Kara’s side, and relaxing in their embrace. It’s warm and soft, everything she’s craved for so long.

When they pull apart, they’re both smiling and Cat places her head back against Kara’s shoulder.

“I … have wanted to ask,” Kara hesitates after the kiss, sounding unsure and almost shy. “What happened to … uh … How did you … get Carter?” 

Cat is too boneless to tense but her heart misses a beat at the question. Kara’s arms around her suddenly feel too heavy, almost too much but she doesn’t free herself from them. Instead, she curls in a little more and takes a deep breath.

“Don’t answer that if you don’t want to,” Kara warns, one of her hands coming to caress Cat’s cheek. “I don’t want to awaken bad memories.”

Cat wonders how someone who’s lived on the run for so long can still be so pure and kind, so loving. The little she knows about Kara’s past is dark and filled with loss and tragedies, yet she’s got the sun in her smile and stars in her eyes; some kind of untouched innocence that is truly nothing short of a miracle. 

“It’s quite alright, Kara,” Cat replies, tilting her head to accentuate the contact against Kara’s palm. “Carter was wanted, even though I didn’t love his father … the right way.” 

Kara doesn’t move but she keeps stroking Cat’s cheek, sometimes wandering down to her jawline. 

“He was kind enough, decent if not a little too traditional in his thinking and life-conceptions. I chose to marry him because he was the safest choice, wealthy, not too much older and mostly understanding of my … lifestyle, as he so eloquently put it once.” 

That gets a slight humpf from Kara.

“He took great care of me, in all the ways he could. I had to make some concessions and that’s how I got Carter. He … had an older brother, once,” Cat’s voice breaks a little and Kara’s arms tighten around her, sure and strong, safe. “A little boy I had named Adam, who died when he was still a baby.” 

“I’m so sorry,” Kara whispers, placing a kiss atop Cat’s curls. It’s soft and tender, Cat relaxes a little under the simple but compassionate gesture. 

“When Carter was around seven, his father died of a heart-attack. It was sudden and brutal, there was nothing we could have done,” Cat keeps going, reassured by Kara’s soft caresses. “I … mourned him, because I lost someone who was still dear to me in some ways, someone who understood me and whose name protected me from the rest of this hostile world.”

“We were alright for about a year, before some people came to reclaim the manor and the orchards,” Cat sighs, still feeling bittersweet over the loss of her house. “I didn’t know it then but my husband had made some bad investments and put the house at risk, as well as the whole domain. I managed to … salvage some money, but we had to leave. That’s how we landed here, in this ranch, something like seven years ago.” 

Kara’s hand moves to weave through Cat’s curls, soft and regular. 

“It was a ruin. The lands were abandoned and with such a hostile neighborhood, no one wanted it. I bought it and with Lois, we worked to repair it and to make something out of the lands. As it turns out, it’s pretty good for corn and weat and some of the clearings have good enough grass to feed meat … So we manage.” 

Another kiss lands in her curls and Cat smiles, liking how easily those little gestures come to Kara.

“I’d say you do even more than just managing, Cat,” Kara counters, her voice filled with awe and admiration. “You’ve built a life for yourself and your family, from scratch. That’s pretty amazing.”

“I couldn’t have done it without Lois, you know,” Cat whispers before she drops a kiss above Kara’s collarbone. “She’s … a pain in the ass, that’s for sure, but I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for her.”

Kara tenses underneath her, muscles flexing against her skin.

“What is it?” Cat asks, looking up to meet Kara’s eyes.

“You ... “ Kara pauses, avoiding looking at Cat. “You have … feelings for her.”

“Oh no, Kara,” Cat shakes her head, rushing to explain. “I did, once. I did love her like that, but it was a long time ago and she made it clear that she didn’t reciprocate. It took … time, sure, but eventually the feelings went away and now, she’s even more than a best friend. She’s basically a sister, a mother, an aunt and a daughter rolled into one. She’s family.” 

“That explains the sass,” Kara mutters but there’s the shadow of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“I don’t know, she was already pretty bitchy when I met her ... “ Cat muses, smirking too. “Still, spending that much time with me, definitely didn’t help.”

Kara chuckles at that, eyes shining in the diminishing light of the candles.  
Cat just loves how Kara’s whole body shakes when she laughs, how her abdomen rolls and flexes while her chest rises and falls, the sound of it rising in the room like music. 

They don’t talk after that and Cat is just content to lay down against Kara.

More than Kara’s warmth, more than the weight of Kara’s arms around her, it’s the steady rhythm of Kara’s heart that lulls her to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter, it's a long and smutty one! It was about time something happened between our lovely women.  
> Though I feel I need to warn you, this is the calm before the storm. This is the highlight, prepare for a very bumpy ride starting from next chapter.
> 
> I'm on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/GaneWhoo) and on [Tumblr](https://lost-your-memory.tumblr.com/) if you want to chat or yell at me!
> 
> _As always, reviews are nice_  
> 


	8. CHAPTER 8

“Good morning sunshine,” Lois greets as Cat stumbles into the kitchen, bleary-eyed and still half-asleep. 

“What time is it?” Cat groans, greedily reaching out for the cup of coffee Lois is handing her. “And when did you get back?” 

Lois smirks but doesn’t answer right away. She bites into a slice of bread and studies her friend’s features.   
Cat looks exhausted but still, Lois notices the very subtle glow on Cat’s skin, the tiny twinkle in the hazel eyes, the faintest smile that seems to float on her lips and then her eyes land on the suspicious mark that mars the collarbone, right underneath the lapel of Cat’s shirt.

“Oh my god!” Lois shrieks, dropping her bread. Her eyes widen and she points out the bruise on her friend’s skin. “You got laid last night!” 

The blush that creeps up from Cat’s neck to her cheeks and ears is her answer.

“So, Kara finally stopped by, uh,” Lois laughs, retrieving her bread and slipping it in her coffee, eyes intent on her friend. She takes a bite of the soaked slice and then asks “How was it?”

She didn’t think it was even possible but Cat actually reddens at the question. 

“That good? Whoa,” Lois whistles, eyes twinkling with sass. “Is she still in your bed?”

That seems to make Cat’s flush go away, and the look in her eyes is disappointed, almost sad. She sits down in front of her friend and takes a sip of coffee before shaking her head.

“She must have left before I woke up,” Cat sighs, grabbing some bread. “She kept saying it was dangerous to stay, yesterday …”

“She still did,” Lois gently counters. “You told me yourself, she’s a most wanted woman. It means something that she … stayed the night, even if she had to slip out at dawn.” 

Cat is still considering Lois' words when Carter walks in.

“Good morning mom!” Carter greets with a bright smile, dropping a kiss on her temple as he passes by her to go sit next to Lois. He grabs a slice of bread and pours himself a glass of milk before starting on his breakfast.

“So, Kara spent the night uh?” Carter asks after a little while, arching an amused brow at his mother. Lois snickers next to him, and Cat blushes again. “I’m happy for you mom. Do you think she’ll come back? We could have dinner, together.”

Lois sees the way Cat’s eyes soften, making her look half-sad and half-hopeful at once. 

“I would love that, but I don’t think it’s going to happen, sweetheart,” Cat sighs, sipping at her coffee before finishing. “A lot of people are after her, she has to lay low.”

Carter looks as dejected as his mother at the answer but he doesn’t add anything. 

Breakfast is quiet after that.

\---

As the days keep on getting longer and longer, the smell of blooming flowers and dry dust hangs in the air. The light becomes soft, laced with golden ribbons that often dance on the wood of the ranch and warm everything up.

The late evening is warm and luminous. Cat is outside on the porch with a book and a cup of tea when she hears the sound of horse’s hooves beating the dust. 

Judging from the fast-paced rhythm and the fact it’s not regular enough, there’s more than just one rider coming in. She instantly drops her book and reaches for her gun as she stands up, checking that it’s loaded and keeping it in her hand. Minutes later, as the noise grows closer, Lois exits the house and comes to stand next to her with a rifle in her hands. 

In the fading daylight of this quiet late-spring day, they watch the whole group of riders approach the ranch. At the head of them, Cat recognises Maxwell Lord. 

He stops at the edge of the house, way too close for Cat’s liking, and Lois instantly aims her weapon at him. He looks different than the last time she saw him, months ago. His face is paler, tighter and in some spots, his skin is cracked from too much sun exposure, not to mention the fact he seems to have lost a lot of weight. 

“Miss Grant,” Lord greets, dismounting his horse and seemingly not caring about Lois’ gun in the least.

“You again,” Cat growls, pursing her lips. There’s a cold gleam in his blue eyes that sends a shiver of apprehension down her spine, but she ignores it. “What do you want now?”

“Tell your bulldog here to lower her weapon,” Maxwell retorts, gesturing to Lois.

“Now, why would I do that?” Cat crosses her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at the intruder.

Maxwell smirks and the gesture truly is terrifying. It’s cold and mechanical, threatening. He raises his hand and puts two fingers in his mouth before letting out a loud and long whistle.

“See, I’m getting tired of not getting any results ...” Maxwell says, his voice low but still carrying through the air. “So I made sure to send someone ahead so I could have some leverage this time.”

He turns to face the barn and Cat gasps in horror.

Carter comes out of the building with his hands on either side of his head, followed by one of Maxwell’s men. Slowly, they make their way to the little group of men, and Cat sees the terror etched all over her son’s face. She can see how he tries to stay calm despite having the barrel of a gun pushed in between his shoulders. 

“You son of a bitch,” Lois growls next to her, arming her rifle and raising it up to aim at Maxwell’s head. “Let him go.”

“Now, why would I do that?” Maxwell replies, amusement in his voice. “Enough niceties. Where’s Zor-El?”

Cat places a hand on Lois’s weapon and lowers it. She can’t risk the safety of her son. Lois hesitates for just a fraction of a second, but then obeys. Facing the intruder, Cat grits her teeth.

“I’ve told you this before, numerous times, I don’t know where she is.”

Maxwell huffs a breath and waits until Carter is standing next to him before placing a hand on his shoulder, taking over for his man. Carter winces at the contact but keeps his hands raised and his eyes trained on his mother. 

“Now, Miss Grant, we both know you’re lying,” Maxwell retorts, annoyance clear in his voice this time. He steps behind Carter and curls his fingers around the boy’s shoulder. “I’ve been chasing after her for years, you know? She’s never stayed in the same place for too long, she’s too careful and cautious for that. Yet … For whatever reason, she seems to always come back to this little corner of land, lost in the middle of nowhere.” 

Cat’s heart is frantically beating in her chest. She’s terrified Maxwell is going to hurt her little boy, and she has no idea of how to prevent it from happening. She’s having difficulties thinking straight and Lois, next to her, is visibly in the same predicament.

“She keeps coming back, and the only thing remotely interesting in this hostile, riddled with indians landscape, is your ranch. I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” Maxwell keeps saying. “Wherever she goes, you keep showing up, and I’m beginning to think you’re actually protecting her, instead of handing her over to the law.”

All of a sudden, Cat is grateful for all the times Kara’s friends were careful not to give any specifics; because had she known the location of Kara’s camp, she would have given it to Maxwell. Anything to save her sweet little boy. Kara has warned her, time and time again, about not wanting to put her or her family in any kind of danger. She understands now, more than ever, why Kara was so torn about their relationship in the first place.   
Cat takes a deep breath and clenches her fists. 

“What makes you think I’d voluntarily harbour or help a most-wanted woman? In case you didn’t notice, I live a pretty solitary life in this ranch, Lord,” Cat spits, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice. “The only visits I get are from intruders like you, or the sheriff.”

That sparks interest in Maxwell’s eyes.   
Cat almost winces, remembering how Hank warned her about mentioning him to the bounty-hunter. She can’t help herself, she’s drowning in her fears.

“Sheriff Henshaw visits you? How … courteous of him,” Maxwell muses, his voice cooler than it was before. “What does the good sheriff want from you?”

“Same thing you do, to know where Kara Zor-El is. I don’t know why everyone keeps thinking I have the answer to that question,” Cat retorts, through her gritted teeth. She’s trying her best not to revert to sarcasm and sass, to avoid aggravating the situation. “I have never seen her in my life, and I don’t know where she is. I also don’t know why someone like her, who seems to be chased by every side of the law, would stay in the area. You said it yourself, it’s crowded with one of the most ruthless Indian tribes.”

Maxwell seems to consider her answer for a moment. She can see it in his eyes, how they grow distant, thoughtful. In front of him, Carter is almost shaking but he’s putting on a brave face. She tries to offer him a smile but fails, too afraid for his life. 

“Hm,” Maxwell lets out. “Good points. Still, I find it interesting that you show up in every place she’s been spotted.”

“This is my ranch, my land, and I apparently really need to hire some guardians because I keep getting unwanted visitors,” Cat growls. “I go to National Creek for supplies or to sell my products, I roam the forest to hunt for food and I go to the mountain lakes when the weather is nice enough to fish. I live here, I can’t be held responsible for going to the same places your target goes to.” 

Maxwell lets out a dry chuckle at that, shaking his head. 

“I really don’t believe it’s a coincidence,” He counters. “Besides, I know Kara Zor-El. She’s got some … sway, with women. I don’t understand why, but women always seem to want to help her, no matter how bloody her crimes are. This has happened before.” 

Cat schools her features, hoping not to betray just how much sway Kara has with her. 

“I’m not some damsel in distress, Lord. I didn’t survive so long in this world, by myself, by allowing criminals inside my house,” Cat replies, gritting her teeth again. “Now release my son and get off my property, Lord. The next time you trespass, I’ll shoot you in the face myself.” 

Lois tenses next to her but Cat has had enough of playing nice. 

It’s the wrong move but she realises it too late.

Maxwell suddenly draws his gun and places the tip of the barrel against Carter’s temple. Cat screams, and Lois arms her rifle again, gunning for Maxwell’s head. Carter whimpers but doesn’t protest, going rigid under the menace. The bounty-hunters behind Maxwell, still on their horses, draw their own guns, but don’t aim.

“You’re not in any position to be giving me orders, Miss Grant,” Maxwell states, his eyes gleaming with anger. “I’m tired of chasing after Kara Zor-El, and I’m convinced that, somehow, you’re the solution to my problem. However, you’re on the sheriff’s visit book, and I don’t want that kind of unwanted attention, so I’m going to let you out with a warning.”

Maxwell shoves Carter forward and reholsters his gun. 

Carter almost stumbles to the ground, but manages to find his balance back and runs to the porch, right into his mother’s open arms.   
She hugs him so tightly she can almost feel the bones break. A sob escapes her lips as she buries her head into his shoulder, not letting go of him. She feels Lois' arms close around them both and for a brief moment, she can savour the fact they’re all safe and sound. 

Until Maxwell’s voice echoes again. 

“Next time you see the gunslinger, tell her that it’s either her or you and your family. She gives herself up, and you stay unharmed. She doesn’t, and I’ll burn your place to the ground.”

Maxwell returns to his horse, and hoists himself on before facing Cat again.

“Consider this to be my first, and final warning, Miss Grant.”

After that, he rides off into the distance, with his men following after him.

\---

A storm had gathered during the night.

Cat watches as the landscape around the ranch almost disappears into a threatening darkness, the stormy weather working to chase away the first notes of spring.

The sky is heavy with dim grey clouds, and the wind howls around the house, making the wood creak and hiss in protest. It creates a strange echo in the chimney, but it’s nothing compared to the deafening peals of thunder that shake the whole world, making it vibrate. Following each thundercrack, lightning-bolts tear up the sky, and throw a blinding glow on the otherwise somber landscape, a metallic light that highlights everything for a few seconds at once. 

“It’s not raining yet, but it’s only a matter of minutes now,” Lois mumbles from behind her. 

The sky certainly looks dark enough, Cat thinks as another lightning bolt lights up the inside of the house, painting everything white. She doesn’t even need to open the windows to recognize the distinct and unique smell of the rain. It seeps through the already humid air, it swirls in the howling wind, and it’s all there, written in the color of the sky. 

Behind her, a fire is roaring in the fireplace, and the room is lit with a few candles here and there, replacing the few electric lights that went down at the first signs of the storm.   
The warm and flickering glow in the room contrasts with the outside world. 

“How are you feeling buddy?” Lois asks, concern lining her voice.

“I swear, if you ask me one more time, I will go sleep in the barn!” Carter growls in reply, a little too loudly for Cat’s liking.

Above anything else, Maxwell Lord’s visit the previous day seems to have angered the young boy beyond reason.   
Cat had been expecting nightmares, panic attacks, meltdowns, but instead, she finds herself now faced with a teenager full of rage and frustration. She’s more than familiar with both emotions herself, but not coming from her usually quiet and calm little boy. She’s at a loss, and it doesn’t help the fact she already feels helpless. 

“Suit yourself, young man. After all, you already smell like a horse, you’ll be perfectly at home there …” Lois retorts and Cat doesn’t have to look to see the shrug. She can also hear Carter’s slight gasp of surprise, which makes her smirk. Lois never lets him get away with anything, especially not sass or sarcasm. As she often likes to remind everyone in the house, it’s her brand. 

“I do not!” Carter protests, and this time Cat turns around to watch as he sniffs himself to check. It makes Lois laugh.

“Gotcha!” 

For a moment, Cat thinks Carter is going to bite Lois’ head off.   
There’s a unique kind of storm brewing in the young boy’s irises, dark and flaring, dangerous. It’s new, she’s never seen that look on him and she hates it. It’s a direct result of what happened to him the previous day and she loathes everything about it.   
Against all odds though, the storm in his blue eyes clears away, and he finally smiles. It’s not the wide, carefree smile she knows but it’s close enough, and given the circumstances, she’ll take whatever she gets. 

“I hate you,” Carter mock-groans as he lightly punches Lois in the arm.

“Nah, you don’t. I’m irresistible,” Lois replies with another shrug, but the smile on her lips has turned soft, gentle. Cat sees the relief gleam in the older Lane’s eyes, and they share a silent look before another loud thundercrack shakes the world, startling everyone.

In the middle of a rumbling peal of thunder, in between two gusts of howling wind, and beneath the creaking and hissing wood, the sound of the pouring rain suddenly explodes. It’s almost deafening, despite the storm raging on, with heavy drops falling incessantly on the roof, and all around the house; blurring the world behind a diluvial curtain. 

Taking her eyes off the drowning landscape, Cat lets out a heavy sigh.   
She already misses the sun and it’s warm beams upon her skin, the smell of flowers and fresh grass, the clear blue sky and the sound of birds chirping in the trees. She had just gotten used to it, but now it feels like going back to a late-winter. 

“I’m going to make some coffee, do you want some?” She asks, glancing at her son. He usually prefers milk but she doesn’t want to treat him like a little boy today. 

“No thanks, can you bring me a chocolate bar though?” 

He looks hopeful, and Cat doesn’t have the heart to say no; despite chocolate being rather rare and precious around here, usually reserved for special occasions. 

“Sure thing, sweetheart. Lois, do you want some whiskey in your coffee?” 

“You know me so well!” Lois retorts with a smug smile.

“Or, you’re just that predictable,” Cat sasses, already exiting the living room. 

She hears the low curse that follows her barb, but doesn’t bother replying. She strikes a match, and uses it to light up a few candles in the kitchen before turning on the small stove. It takes a few minutes, but then the familiar scent of coffee starts to waft in the air, and Cat smiles appreciatively. She finds a candy bar, and brings it back to the living room, holding two mugs in her other hand. 

“The white one is yours,” Cat tells Lois, handing over the sweet to her son before keeping the green mug in her hands. It’s hot, a little too much even, but she doesn’t mind. 

The storm outside is only getting worse, with thunder rumbling non-stop and the rain beating down the house with even more vigor, but inside it’s warm and cozy. 

Lois and Cat sit down on the couch to enjoy their cup of coffee while Carter slowly savors his candy bar; they don’t talk, but it’s peaceful, comfortable. 

Suddenly, a loud crash echoes around them, seemingly from inside in the house. 

For a moment, Cat thinks it’s only a louder thundercrack but then, a gust of rain-scented wind almost blows out all the candles. Lois is the first one to grab her gun, aiming for the living-room’s entrance. It’s like the whole storm has suddenly entered the house, up to the faint rain drops the strong wind carries into the living room. 

“Ah shit.”

The curse is barely audible, the close sounds of the thunder, rain and wind almost drowning it.   
A few seconds later, the door slams shut and all the storm’s noises become distant again. The echo of heavy footsteps approaching makes Cat grab her own weapon. Still, she doesn’t pull it out. She’s got a feeling the visitor is not an enemy. 

“I’m trespassing, I know, but I needed to see for myself if you guys were alright,” Kara says as she enters the living room with her hands in the air. 

She’s drenched in rain, water running down every side of her hat, and all along her soaked-through coat. She’s removed her boots but her dark socks are making wet sounds with every step she takes. Slowly, she removes her hat and holds it in one hand, using the other to push her wet hair away. 

She still looks beautiful, with the water tracing paths along her glowing skin, getting caught in her eyelashes, and dripping from the side of her jaw. Cat can’t help but to drink in the sight of her.

Kara’s baby blue eyes are as wild and dark as the sky outside, filled with worry and some kind of lurking anger. She doesn’t look at Cat, only at Carter. 

“You okay, buddy?” 

Carter, who had looked utterly startled until Kara directly spoke to him, rolls his eyes and smiles. She instantly returns the gesture but her eyes don’t soften. 

Behind her, Lois puts her weapon away and shakes her head, muttering something under her breath Cat doesn’t hear.

“I’m fine! You didn’t have to risk coming out in broad daylight just to check on me!”

“In case you didn’t notice, broad daylight is not exactly today’s forecast …” Kara retorts with a chuckle that sounds a little fake to Cat’s ears. 

The young boy laughs and gestures for Kara to come closer.

“True, but still. I know it’s dangerous for you to be out during the day, especially with Lord douchebag lurking around …” Carter replies with a shrug. The nickname seems to please Kara, who smirks appreciatively. “You’re dripping with rain, come dry yourself near the fire.” 

“That’s very kind of you but I’m not staying,” Kara replies, shaking her head. It sends more droplets of rain around but she doesn’t seem to care. 

“You’re not?” Cat asks, finally drawing Kara’s attention. 

The look in Kara’s eyes is so dark it sends a chill down her spine.   
She’s never seen such turmoil of emotion in the gunslinger’s eyes, and she’s not sure she likes it. It’s full of anger, a desire for vengeance, and raw violence. It sparkles and burns in Kara’s irises, consuming her from within. 

“I’m not,” Kara confirms and there’s no hesitation in her tone. “I’ve made that mistake once, I won’t do it again.”

The words are like a slap to her face, so much so, Cat almost physically recoils.   
She knows the mistake Kara is referring to is their night together. It cuts deep under her skin, like a hot blade twisting in her very soul, and through her heart.

Behind Kara, Lois moves to get Carter. She doesn’t say anything, but he’s intuitive enough, he follows her without protesting. A minute later, they’ve disappeared into the house. 

“Do you mean it?” Cat whispers, closing her arms around her chest to hug herself. 

She knows Kara probably feels torn apart by guilt and remorse. She’s seen the struggle first-hand, but even with what had happened to her son the previous day, and despite Maxwell Lord’s threats, she can’t bring herself to regret anything. 

Kara opens her mouth to reply, but then she pauses, a flicker of doubt clouding her already too dark eyes. It’s more than enough for Cat to know that Kara didn’t mean it, not in the least. That it’s simply something she feels the need to say to protect Cat, and to make it a little easier to stay away from each other. 

“No,” Kara sighs but she shakes her head and grits her teeth. “I just … I wish circumstances could be different, but they’re not. I can’t … I thought he’d hurt Carter.” 

Cat hears the tremor in Kara’s voice, notices the slight tremble of Kara’s chin, catches the sparkle of residual fear in Kara’s baby blue eyes. She sees how deeply Kara cares about Carter.   
It’s inexplicable but it’s there and Cat is suddenly choking under all the love she feels for Kara.

She moves forward and comes to hug Kara, throwing her arms around the gunslinger’s waist, and holding onto her, tightly. It takes a moment before Kara returns the gesture, but eventually, she does. Through the scent of rain that clings to her skin, through the smell of wind, and the storm hanging all around her, Cat still catches the familiar hints of peppermint.

“He’s not going to stop, I’m pretty sure he already threatened you with more …” Kara whispers, one hand coming to caress Cat’s hair. 

“He did. He threatened to burn the house down if I didn’t give you up,” Cat replies, not wanting to hide things from Kara.

“I figured …” Kara sighs. “I have to go, Cat. Carter’s right, I shouldn’t have come during the day.”

“How did you even know?” Cat asks, forehead resting against Kara’s shoulder. 

She’s surrounded by Kara’s scent, and despite the cold rain soaking into her clothes, she feels comfortable. Safe.

“Lord Douchebag, as Carter appropriately called him, is not the only one to keep watch on your ranch. I’ve got … spies,” Kara answers after a beat. Cat hears the slight pause and frowns.

“Spies?” 

Kara stays silent for a little too long, and Cat pulls away from her, just to be able to look the gunslinger in the eyes.

“Kara? What do you mean, you’ve got spies?”

Kara loosens her hold around Cat and sighs, looking resigned. She takes a deep breath and then asks.

“Do you remember that time when I rescued you from an … Inze ambush, in the snow?” 

Cat nods, eyes still anchored to Kara’s dark blue ones. 

“I … talked to them,” Kara adds and Cat nods again. 

She’s always wondered how Kara could speak the Inze language, but with everything that had happened since that specific encounter the topic never came back, and she forgot all about it. 

“There are so many things you don’t know about me,” Kara muses, sounding almost sad. 

The look in her eyes is more distant now, and she drops her hold on Cat before taking a step back. Cat doesn’t chase after her, despite how much she wants to. She has a feeling that whatever Kara is about to say will be hard to hear, so she lets her go. 

Thunder rolls and an impressive lightning bolt tears the sky apart, throwing its unique white light across the room before it regains its warm halo. 

“I have Inze blood in my veins. I’m not part of their tribe, I’ve always refused to join them, and I don’t condone their … barbarian acts, but to their leader, I’m … family,” Kara explains, slowly. The heaviness in Kara’s tone is thick and low but she keeps going. “Her name is Astra and she’s my … biological aunt.”

The revelation is like a slap across Cat’s face. 

She’s been living in these hostile lands long enough to know, and fear the name.   
She’s seen rough drawings of Astra’s face plastered in all the sheriff stations, train stations, and post offices around the land, and she’d heard the tales of her crimes more than once. They were usually the main subject of conversation in every saloon in the area. 

“My mother was born an Inze, but she left the tribe before she turned eighteen, and built a life for herself in …” Kara pauses, searching for her words. “I guess you could call it, the real world?”

Cat frowns, not knowing what it means. 

She’s slowly realising that there’s a lot she doesn’t know about Kara indeed, and she’s not sure she likes it. She knows full well that blood isn’t a choice, but still, to learn that Kara is somehow related to the most violent, and ruthless indian tribe of the country is a shock. 

“I mean, your world,” Kara tries to explain but it only makes Cat’s frown deepen. “What I’m trying to say is that she settled in a town, with people who were not blood-thirsty indians, nor exiled gunslingers, and started working as an assistant for the town’s doctor …”

A loud thunderclap startles Cat and the sound seems to pull Kara out of her thoughts. She straightens her posture and plants her eyes into Cat’s hazel ones, looking determined. 

“I don’t have the best relationship with my aunt, but family still means something so ... I asked for some of her best people to keep an eye on your ranch. That’s how I heard about Lord’s visit yesterday.” 

Cat stays silent after that. 

As another roll of thunder shakes the house, she brings her arms around her frame to hug herself. She shivers, the rain from Kara’s clothes having soaked her own shirt, and the front of her pants, but she doesn’t move to get closer to the fire. Right now, she feels as if nothing will be able to warm her. 

“You’re Astra Inze’s niece,” Cat slowly states, her voice low but clear enough to carry across the room. 

The storm around the house has gotten worse but inside the living-room, a strange calm takes over. Kara doesn’t move either, but there’s some kind of alam in her dark blue eyes. 

“You had Indians, Inze specifically, watch me, and my family, without telling me,” Cat adds, processing the information as she goes. Her tone lowers when she speaks again “The same Indians who, more than once, attacked my family, and almost every time it had happened … you were there.”

Now that she knows, she can’t help but to wonder if Kara’s presence, each time the Inze attacked her, or her family, was as fortuitous as she first thought. She doesn’t want to doubt the gunslinger, but it’s too big of a coincidence not to at least think about it. 

Memories of the attack in the snow flash in front of her eyes and she suddenly remembers having heard Astra’s name in the shouting match Kara had with the leader of the Inze. She didn’t place it back then, but now it was all she could think of, and she blamed herself for having not connected the dot sooner. 

Kara frowns, looking puzzled, and a little lost. It takes a minute but then, Cat watches as slowly, realisation dawns upon the gunslinger, whose eyes suddenly widen. Kara shakes her head and raises her hands, already trying to explain herself.

“Wait, Cat, it’s not …”

Cat raises a hand, the gesture sharp and almost threatening. Kara swallows and shuts her mouth, knowing better than to push. 

Cat starts to pace, because she’s going through too many emotions at once to stand still. 

The shock of the initial revelation has worn out, and even though she’s still trying to hold onto some residual denial, anger is now taking over. Anger and disappointment, a very dangerous combination.  
She’s never been good with anger but at least, she’s familiar with it. Disappointment is also something she knows, but not to this scale. She’s been disappointed before, but by a husband she didn’t truly love; someone who didn’t mean nearly as much as Kara means to her.

Which is why Kara’s betrayal feels incredibly worse, and so devastatingly painful.   
Cat can practically feel her heart crack in her chest, shattering into tiny little pieces, and exploding like a broken mirror. 

“I knew you were trouble, when I met you,” Cat starts, voice clipped and guarded as she keeps pacing the living room. “I didn’t recognize you from the most wanted posters plastered everywhere in every town but still, I just knew you were bad news.” 

The hurt that flashes across Kara’s eyes almost feels satisfactory to Cat’s anger. 

“I thought … I thought I knew what I was getting into. I trusted you, even though I clearly shouldn't have,” Cat attacks and this time, Kara visibly flinches. “You’ve told me, repeatedly, that you didn’t want to put me and my family in danger … ”

Cat takes a deep breath and tries to reign in her feelings. 

“You’ve warned me about Maxwell Lord, that’s true. I also knew that … getting closer to you would mean exposing myself, and my family, to more danger than necessary. You told me so, and I … trusted you.” Cat whispers, her voice almost breaking on the last few words. Kara takes a step closer, but Cat glares and shakes her head no, so Kara stays put. “I had no idea you’d … voluntarily put me, Lois, and my son, in the hands of the most violent, the most barbaric Indian tribe of the lands.” 

“Cat,” Kara pleads, and for the first time the name sounds like an insult in her mouth. “I only did it to protect you, just in case Maxwell would try something …”

“He did!” Cat cuts her off, almost yelling this time. She stops pacing to face Kara. “He had a gun pressed against my son’s temple, Kara! One squeeze of the trigger and …”

She swallows, unable to finish her sentence. The images of the previous day are still too fresh in her memory. 

“Where were your precious spies then? Where were they when Maxwell had his hands on my son, why didn’t they intervene?” Cat raises her voice and stares into Kara’s stormy blue eyes. “Where were you?”

Kara opens her mouth to say something but nothing comes out.   
Suddenly, she looks like she’s been slapped across the face. She closes her mouth and looks down at her feet, around which a pool of water is slowly spreading. When she faces Cat’s eyes again, she looks resigned and determined at once. 

“You’re right,” Kara says, softly. Something in her tone sets Cat on edge. “I wasn’t there. I’ll never be there, not in that way, no matter how much I wish I could be. My life … it’s not something I can impose on you and your family. I thought … I thought maybe …”

Kara’s voice breaks and Cat feels her own anger waver.

“I have to go, Miss Grant,” Kara finally breathes. Cat absentmindedly notices the return of her last name. “Will you say goodbye to Lois and Carter for me?”

Cat finally recognizes the fatality in Kara’s voice, the resignation underlining her words and the broken softness shining in her eyes. 

She suddenly realises Kara’s saying her last farewells. 

Somehow, it makes her anger flare right back. 

“So your solution is to run away. Of course it is,” Cat scoffs, gritting her teeth as she crosses her arms over her chest. “After all, it’s all you do.”

Kara flinches, the look in her eyes full of hurt. So much that Cat almost feels guilty. 

“It’s the only way I can actually protect you,” Kara eventually retorts, through her own clenched jaw. “With me gone, it means no more visits from him or the sheriff, no Inze spying on you on my account. You’ll be free to return to your own life.” 

The look in Kara’s dark blue eyes is unreadable, her face closed-off, and not giving away any emotion. It’s the first time Cat isn’t able to read the gunslinger and it’s jarring.

A lightning bolt blinds the room for a few seconds, and it highlights the hard sharpness of Kara’s face. It’s followed by a few strong gusts of wind before it fades back into nothing.

After a moment of deafening silence, Kara turns around and starts moving to exit the living room. 

“What about us?” Cat finally asks, voice wavering. 

All she can see right now is her own happiness fleeing through the door and she’s been alone for way too long to let it go without a fight. She may be insanely furious and angry at Kara, but through it all, she’s still deeply, maddeningly, and irrevocably in love with the gunslinger. She loves Kara with every fiber of her being; so much that just the mere thought of never seeing her again is too devastatingly painful to bear. 

“You’ve made it clear that … you regret whatever it is that has happened between us, Miss Grant,” Kara retorts, still walking toward the door. Her voice didn’t tremble but Cat notices the closed fists and the tensed shoulders. 

“You know I didn’t mean it,” Cat protests, taking a step in Kara’s direction. Kara’s imminent departure feels all too real, and all too final to Cat, who’s starting to internally panic. 

“You did,” Kara coolly states without turning around. “You did mean it, and you’re right, just like I was at the beginning of this conversation. It was a mistake. It was foolish of us to believe we could ... last.”

Cat stops dead in her tracks under the violence of the reply. Kara’s words feel like knives, cutting at her soul, and twisting deep in her already broken heart. A soft gasp escapes her lips and she raises a hand to her heart, in an instinctive gesture to check that it’s still beating. 

“I’ve told you before, but my world … it’s made of violence and blood. I have bounty hunters chasing after me, and the law itself wants my head dangling at the end of a rope. Every day I get to live, it feels like I’m on borrowed time,” Kara says, her voice still cold and neutral. She’s stopped in the living room’s door frame, but she’s still not facing Cat. “It’s not a life, as I tried to tell you so many times. I had doubts, reservations, and yet you made me believe … you made me believe something was possible.” 

A thunderclap cracks all around them at the end of Kara’s sentence.   
It’s a deafening sound that makes the whole world tremble. Cat feels her own legs shake, but she’s pretty sure it has nothing to do with the storm raging outside. It’s the one happening inside the house that truly scares her, the way Kara’s words sound final and irreversible. 

“You said you shouldn’t have trusted me,” Kara adds, still with her back to Cat. “Well … that makes two of us, I guess. Say goodbye to Lois and Carter for me, and have a nice life, Miss Grant.”

Another thunderclap startles Cat before a series of lightning bolts tear the sky apart. 

The white glow in the house lasts long enough for Cat to see that Kara’s gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!
> 
> You are welcome to yell at me.
> 
> You can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/GaneWhoo) but I also have a dedicated tab for this fic on [Tumblr](https://lost-your-memory.tumblr.com/tagged/RDR2-supercat-AU)
> 
> ( _I'll fix it, I promise_ )
> 
> _As always, reviews are nice_


	9. CHAPTER 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNINGS** : tw for blood and injuries ( ~~and angst~~ )

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.” 

Lois nods and pours an unhealthy dose of whiskey into a chipped mug before handing it over to Cat. When Cat makes no move to grab it, Lois sighs and places the drink on the coffee table, right in front of where her friend is curled in a corner of the couch. She fills her own glass, places the bottle next to Cat’s drink, and then moves around to sit next to her friend. Careful not to spill anything, she reaches for her friend’s feet and tugs at them until Cat places them on her knees.

“That bad, uh,” Lois whispers, one hand gently caressing the slope of one of Cat’s feet and the other playing with her drink, eyes studying her friend’s face. She’s expecting to see red eyes, puffy cheeks and even a snotty nose but Cat doesn’t seem to have cried at all.  
There’s something distant about her, no light in her hazel green eyes; almost as if she wasn’t there anymore.

Cat barely shrugs and doesn’t reply. Lois stays silent, eyes still trained on her friend.

They stay like this for what feels like a small eternity, with Cat not touching her mug while Lois drinks all the whiskey and gently caresses her friend’s feet. 

“Carter?” Cat eventually asks, still not looking at her friend. 

“Asleep,” Lois retorts, slurring her words a little. “I know it’s the end of the afternoon, but I don’t think he’s sleeping so well at night … I didn’t want to wake him up.”

Cat simply nods and keeps looking through the window, without seeing anything. 

It’s been hours since Kara left, and the storm has finally reduced to a steady rain.

After the loud thunder and all the wind howls, the sound of the droplets beating down the house is almost peaceful. There’s a soothing regularity to it, laced with an unmistakable melancholia that seems to perfectly suit Cat’s mood. 

“How much did you hear?” Cat eventually tears her eyes from the window to meet Lois’. 

“Enough,” Lois softly replies.

“And?”

“Oh no, I’m not giving you my opinion on this,” Lois shakes her head. “You’re looking for someone to lash out at, and I won’t be your scapegoat.”

That earns her a dark look from Cat, but Lois stands her ground and defiantly holds the hazel glare. 

“You agree with her,” Cat accuses, clenching her jaw and bringing her feet close to her. 

Lois rolls her eyes and shakes her head no.

“Actually, I don’t but it doesn’t mean I agree with you either.”

“You’re not making any sense,” Cat arches an unimpressed brow, glaring down at her friend.

Lois is secretly glad to see an angry streak in the hazel green eyes, anything’s better than the distance she’d seen earlier.

“That’s because you can’t think straight, no pun intended,” Lois snorts, a smirk floating on her lips that disappears at the first sparkle of hurt and sadness in Cat’s green eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean … Anyway. I don’t think either of you are right, even though I suppose you both invoked some valid points.”

That earns her a cautious, but intrigued look, one without any trace of anger but still lined with sadness. 

“You said you didn’t want to talk about it?” Lois tentatively tries, reaching her hands to bring Cat’s feet back to her knees. Cat reluctantly lets her.

“Yes, and you said you wouldn’t give me your opinion … I guess we both changed our minds,” Cat replies, sounding slightly sarcastic. 

“Hm, you do have a point,” Lois nods and leans forward to place the empty bottle of whiskey on the table. With both hands, she starts to massage Cat’s left foot. “Alright, but don’t interrupt me until I’ve said it all.”

Cat seems about to say something, but the pointed glare Lois throws her is enough to silence her.

“Listen, I’m not Kara’s biggest fan, and you know it,” Lois starts and when Cat rolls her eyes, she pinches the flesh on the side of Cat’s foot. It provokes a slightly outraged sound but Lois doesn’t let go of the foot, not even when Cat tries to pull it back. “Shut up. Now, I’m not a fan and she does seem to have a lot of baggage, she’s always bringing trouble with her whenever she’s around, but at the same time … there’s no denying that my life, our lives even, are better since we met her.” 

She pauses and glances up at Cat, who looks skeptical.

“Come on. You’ve never been happy like this before, not in all the time I’ve known you.”

The frown above Cat’s eyes slowly ebs away but the sadness in her look deepens.  
A suspicious wetness starts to gather in the hazel iris and to Lois it’s a tell-tale sign that her friend truly is heartbroken, despite how well she hides it. In all the years they’ve been living together, Lois can count the times she’s seen Cat cry with one hand.

“She lied,” Cat whispers, closing her eyes and shaking her head. 

Lois focuses back on her friend’s foot and she feigns to miss how Cat furiously wipes one of her cheeks. 

“Well, technically … she didn’t? Then again, you’re going to argue that it’s all semantics, that a lie by omission is still a lie or whatever,” Lois shrugs and she raises a hand to prevent Cat’s protest. “I know you think it’s the truth but in this case … I don’t think it should matter. You have to understand, Cat … She’s a gunslinger with the whole world after her. She’s already put us at risk, and she knows it. She’s told us, repeatedly, that she was … trouble.” 

Cat frowns again and crosses her arms over her chest. It’s more defensive than anything else and Lois sighs.

“In my opinion … she just didn’t handle it very well. She doesn’t strike me as someone who’s good with words, at communicating. She’s been on her own for so long … I’m not even sure she’s been in a real relationship before?” Lois asks, searching in Cat’s eyes for an answer.

Cat hesitates before shaking her head no. 

“There you go. She only wanted to protect us, but it didn’t go as planned. And sure, she probably should have told us about the Inze watching over the property, but then you got so mad at her, you started saying such violent things …” Cat swallows against the lump in her throat, the memories of her argument with Kara still fresh in her mind. “I think she didn’t know it was just you lashing out after all the terror of Carter’s attack. She didn’t realize you didn’t mean any of it, not really.”

Lois glances at the empty bottle sitting on the coffee table and groans before looking back at Cat. She considers her next words for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.

“From what I heard … It seemed Kara was only looking for an excuse to bolt,” Lois muses, hurrying to add the rest when she notices Cat is already opening her mouth. “Now, I’m not an expert, God knows I’m usually running away from feelings and emotions but it seems to me that she doesn’t believe she’s worthy of love, yours in particular. She’s got scars, Cat, emotional ones I mean. She’s so used to being alone that she doesn’t believe she could ever have something … worth settling for. Something healthy, something stable. Beside, as we established, the whole world wants her head hanging from a rope, which probably doesn’t help …”

Cat stays silent and her eyes wander off through the windows again. 

“I think you were both still reeling from what happened to Carter and you didn’t handle it well, and I’m using the nicest euphemism I could think of,” Lois sasses, hoping to make her friend smile at least. 

It doesn’t work, Cat seems deeply lost in her thoughts. Lois sighs and doesn’t add anything, simply focusing back on massaging her friend’s feet.

\---

At some point during the late hours of the afternoon, the heavy grey sky had darkened until night finally reclaimed the world, but the rain never stopped and the sound, through the thick obscurity, creates a soothing melody that’s only troubled by the crackling of a fire in the living room.

Dinner had been a quiet, short affair, and now Lois is sprawled on the couch, nursing her hangover. Carter is sitting on the carpet by the fireplace, seemingly absorbed in a book. 

Cat feels restless, and she tries to counter the feeling by coming and going, mindlessly tidying the room as she moves. 

Her mind keeps going back to the argument she had with Kara that morning, and she can now see the many ways it could have played out that wouldn’t have ended in such a heartbreak. A dreadful feeling is coiling at the bottom of her stomach, some kind of intuition that it’s only going to get worse. Even if she doesn’t know what “it” is. 

“You’re giving me a headache,” Lois groans from her spot on the couch.

“I think it’s called a hangover,” Carter sasses, without even looking up.

“What I mean is, she’s giving me a headache in addition to my hangover,” Lois explains, glaring down at the impertinent young man who still doesn’t look up from his book. 

Cat can’t help the dry chuckle that slips past her lips but she doesn’t stop pacing.  
She fears that if she stops, all the emotions she’s been trying to keep at arm’s length will catch up with her, and she knows that if it happens, she’ll drown. 

“Please stop pacing, or at least go pace somewhere else, in a room where I can’t see you.”

Carter snorts but still doesn’t look up and Lois throws a cushion at him.  
It bounces off his head and falls on his book but he simply pushes it aside and keeps on reading, seemingly unbothered.

“Your son is rude,” Lois groans, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back against the armrest. “Must be genetics.”

Carter finally grabs the cushion and hurls it back at Lois, with surprisingly good aim. It lands right on top of Lois’ face, and she lets out an outraged squeal before placing it behind her head.

“See! Rude!” Lois grumbles, closing her eyes while Cat and Carter chuckle. 

Mother and son exchange a knowing look before Carter focuses on his book again while Cat goes to take care of the fire, for the tenth time in the span of an hour.

Ashes are gathering underneath a single coal-looking wooden log that has been burnt to the core. Cat adds two more logs and gently blows on the ashes, unearthing the buried embers and making them glow until flames rise up and lick the wood.  
Eventually, the fire starts again and a comforting crackling sound echoes in the room as heat starts to spread. 

Suddenly, a loud commotion behind the front door startles everyone. 

Cat is the first one to react, instinctively reaching for the rifle sitting next to the fireplace while Carter jumps up and moves closer to her. In her alcohol-induced state, Lois is a little slower and the door bursts open before she has time to even stand up.

“Don’t shoot!” Lucy yelps when she notices Cat’s aim. “I’d raise my hands but as you can see …”

“What the fuck?” Lois mutters from her spot on the couch, eyes widening at the sight of her sister holding up the unconscious body of Alex Danvers. “What …”

“I’ll explain later!” Lucy groans, trying not to stumble as Alex misses a step when they move forward. “For now, I’d appreciate some help! More are on the way …”

“What?!” 

“Our camp was attacked, I didn’t know where to go …” Lucy breathes, alarmingly swaying as she tries to hoist up Alex against her flank. “She needs help.” 

Carter instantly steps away from his mother, and moves to the other side of Alex’s body. He gently but firmly places an arm around the older Danvers waist and carries her to the couch. Lois finally stands up to help them lay down the injured gunslinger.

“What do you mean your camp was attacked?” Cat asks, coming back from the kitchen with a big wooden box full of medicinal supplies and tools. “Carter, go fetch me some fresh towels and clean sheets. Lois, we’re going to need more alcohol …” 

Lois looks a little perplexed for a moment and Cat groans. 

“Not to drink, Lois! To disinfect the wounds and the tools. Go find me some bottles!” 

“Is my sister drunk?” Lucy asks, glancing back and forth between Lois and Cat, looking suspicious.

“She is, yes,” Cat retorts, coming to kneel beside Alex. “You should go with her to make sure she doesn’t break the bottles … or drink any more alcohol.” 

Lucy doesn’t need to be told twice, and she goes with Lois to find more booze in the back of the house. 

Carter is coming back down the stairs when Winslow enters the house, holding a woman in his arms.  
Behind him, Eve and Nia are helping another woman who looks almost as bad as Alex does, with blood dripping from different spots on her face, coating her hair and soaking the collar of her pale blue shirt.

“Oh my gosh,” Cat whispers, looking up from Alex to access the situation. “What on earth happened here?”

“Maxwell Lord happened,” Winslow groans, moving into the living room. “Do you have another couch or a bed where I can lay Lena down?” 

Cat looks at the woman in the cowboy’s arms and barely recognizes the Luthor heiress.  
Her face is pale, but with that tell-tale yellowish glow that announces sickness. Her hair is dirty, dull, and striated with silver-grey strands that accentuate the hollowness of her cheeks and neck. She’s abnormally thin, Cat notices.

“There’s a mattress in the study,” Cat nods before turning to face her son. “Carter, can you go grab it and bring it here by the fireplace?”

Carter is gone before she can finish her sentence. 

Eve and Nia are gently helping their friend into the armchair next to the couch, and Cat can’t make anything out about her. The only thing she sees that isn’t covered in blood are the hazy blue eyes, pale as ice but still piercing. 

It makes her think about another pair of blue eyes and she slowly looks around, finally noticing the absence of the gang’s leader. 

“Where’s Kara?” Cat asks, trying to reign in the dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach. 

Carter comes back into the room dragging the mattress behind him, and he is followed by the Lane sisters. Lucy’s arms are full of bottles, and Lois gently guides her to the coffee table to help unload the booze. 

By the fireplace, Winslow gently kneels on the floor and deposits Lena’s body on the mattress. Carter swings by with a cushion and hands it over to the cowboy, who delicately props Lena’s head up before turning to face Cat.

The look on his face tells Cat everything she doesn’t want to know.  
Everything she’s been dreading is written there, in Winslow’s blue irises. It swirls in his terror and helplessness, it rages in his powerless anger and the depths of his worries. 

She knows something terrible happened to Kara.

“She …” Winslow sighs, swallowing hard. “Maxwell Lord has her. He and his merry men ... They followed Kara back to the camp this morning. She didn’t … she didn’t notice. They attacked us later, though. The sun was falling low behind the trees when we heard their horses, it was already too late to run. Some of our friends … they were killed in the assault. Maxwell and his men ravaged the camp, and threatened to kill us all if we didn’t surrender our leader …”

“Kara sacrificed herself. She went to him while holding a gun to her head, saying that if he hurt another one of her friends she’d kill herself, said she was worth a lot more money if she was alive.” Lucy ads, looking angry and desperate at once. “She kept the gun against her temple the whole time, as she was climbing on her horse and handing over the reins to Maxwell … She said she’d hand her weapon over only once they were far enough for us to run away.” 

Lois slowly places an arm around her sister’s shoulders, and Lucy leans into her, welcoming the comforting touch. 

“Three of our friends died back there,” Lucy almost sobs but after a deep breath, she steels herself to continue. “She saved the rest of us and I didn’t know where to go … I’m sorry we’re barging in on you like this. It might not even be the safest place, but we figured that … since Maxwell already has Kara, he won’t be coming for us, not for a while at least ...”

Before Lucy can finish her sentence, Alex suddenly jerks up and starts coughing blood.

Cat quickly moves to help her sit down while Carter runs toward the kitchen and brings back water. Alex takes the glass with trembling fingers but manages to take a few gulps without spilling anything.

“Where’s everybody else?” Alex croaks once she’s done drinking, eyes roaming around the room. “Where is Kara?” 

Lucy steps away from Lois to come kneel beside Alex, next to Cat. 

Slowly, she starts explaining everything and Cat hears the names of the people who have died in the attack. She doesn’t know their stories, but her heart aches all the same for the terrible loss she reads in everyone’s eyes. 

When Lucy tells Alex about Kara’s sacrifice, the older Danvers jumps up from the couch and tries to march toward the door. Two steps in and she falls, her legs giving up underneath her weight. Eve lunges forward and catches her before she crumbles on the floor, landing on her knees on the carpet with Alex in her arms. 

“God damn it!” Alex groans, pain and frustration dripping from her voice. She tries to stand up but she’s too weak and Eve catches her again. 

“Easy, Alex,” Cat warns, motioning for Eve and Nia to bring the older Danvers to the couch. “I need to take a look at your injuries, you seem to have lost a lot of blood …”

“No, we need to go out to find Kara before anything happens to her,” Alex protests but she’s in no shape to fight against Eve and Nia’s tight hold.

The words send another wave of dread down Cat’s stomach, and she can’t help but to glance at Lena, who’s still lying unconscious on the mattress by the fire. She knows what happened to the Luthor heiress, and the idea that it could happen to Kara fills her with such terror, it almost paralyzes her. 

“Mom, Alex’s lost consciousness!” Carter shouts, bringing her back to the moment at hands. “What do we do? How can we help?” 

She can’t dwell on Kara’s fate for now, there are more pressing matters. She shakes her head to chase the images away, and focuses on Alex passed out on her couch.

“Alright,” Cat says, her tone sharp and decided. “Lois, help me undress Alex so we can find and stop the bleeding. Carter, go help Nia and Eve with the other woman …”

“Andrea. Andrea Rojas,” Eve supplies, making Cat, Lois, and Carter freeze for a moment. “I’ll explain later. For now, what do we do?”

Cat shakes her head again and starts distributing orders for the two women to take care of Andrea’s injuries, while she helps Alex out of her blood-soaked waistcoat and shirt.

“How can I help?” Winslow asks, anxious to do something.

“We’re probably going to need you to hold Alex while I cauterize her most pressing injuries,” Cat explains, pointing at the distinctive bullet hole showing in between the collarbone and the armpit. She presses a clean cloth against it. “She’s still losing too much blood, I won’t have a choice but to use a white hot iron.”

A soft gasp escapes Lucy’s lips. The younger Lane seems like she’s about to protest, for a moment, and Cat arches a brow.

“She’s in good hands,” Lois murmurs, wrapping one hand around her sister’s shoulder. “I promise you, Cat will do whatever is in her power to save her, but you have to trust her.” 

That seems to appease Lucy. She clenches her jaw and nods.

“How can I help?”

Cat nods in return and gives her orders.

“Pour alcohol on some clean pieces of cloth, I’m going to disinfect her worst wounds. The shoulder is a through and through, the bullet came out,” Cat explains, moving her free hand above Alex’s body. “The one at her waist though ... I need to make sure the projectile isn’t stuck inside. Lois, open the bag at your feet and find me a pair of pliers.”

Lois does as she’s told, and barely a minute later she hands over the freshly disinfected tool. On her right, Lucy offers her a damp cloth that smells like cheap whiskey. She uses it to clean and sterilize the injury but it keeps bleeding, too much for her to clear anything.

“Alright. Winn, Lois, Lucy … I need you to hold her. What I’m about to do is going to hurt like hell, it’ll likely pull her out of her unconscious state …” Cat takes the pliers and waits until they are all ready. “Hold her tight, this is going to be extremely unpleasant …”

Winn swallows but tightens his grip around Alex’s wrist while Lois and Lucy each grab an ankle. Eventually, they all give her a nod. 

Cat removes the blood soaked piece of cloth, throws it in the nearby bucket and takes a deep breath. She clears her head and focuses on the task at hand.

Without trembling, she plunges the pliers in the still bleeding wound and starts searching for the piece of lead that should be stuck in the flesh somewhere. For a few moments, Alex doesn’t move and Cat hopefully starts thinking she’s going to stay out for the whole operation.

Suddenly, Alex opens her eyes and lets out a loud howl of pain, already trying to move to escape the intrusive tool that pokes at her insides. Lois, Lucy and Winn all lean forward to try to keep her in place but Alex resists and bucks her hips. Cat had been anticipating such a move, and she instantly pulls the pliers out, to avoid stabbing the older Danvers any further.

“Alex!” Cat calls, noticing the bleeding is getting worse. “Stop moving, I need to find the bullet before I can start stitching you up!”

She presses a hand on the older Danvers’ abdomen, trying to force her back into a lying position. She figures it wouldn’t do any good to mention the hot white blade she plans on using to do the stitching up so she keeps going.

“Come on, I’m nearly there. Please, try to stop moving.”

Through the haze of the unbearable pain she must be feeling, Alex still manages to throw her a terribly angry look. Cat only arches an unimpressed brow in response.

“Fine,” Alex growls, voice still raspy from her previous scream. “Give me some alcohol first.”

Cat grabs the bottle they’ve been using as a disinfectant and offers its neck to the older Danvers’ lips. Alex drinks a good tier of the bottle before coughing, so Cat pulls the drink away. She rolls a piece of cloth into a tight but soft log and presents it to Alex’s mouth. 

“Bite into this, that way you’ll avoid losing your tongue.”

Alex stares at the piece of fabric but eventually, she sighs and parts her lips.

“Good, now try to stay still,” Cat orders, flattening her hand over Alex’s abdomen again.

Alex groans in response and Cat has a feeling it’s actually an insult but she doesn’t dwell on it. Instead, she takes another deep breath and uses the pliers again.

For the next ten minutes, the only sounds echoing in the house are the grunts and groans Alex lets out.  
Carter is helping Nia and Eve to disinfect and stitch up Andrea’s injuries, most of which are just superficial but still need immediate care. Lois, Lucy and Winn are so involved in Alex’s pain they can’t speak, and Cat is too focused to even notice anything beyond the blood spilling from the older Danvers’ body, and the slippery pliers between her fingers.

Eventually, she gets ahold of something solid, something that shouldn't be there.  
Slowly, carefully, she pulls out the tool from Alex’s body, and drops it in a bowl of blood tainted water on the coffee table.

“All good, Alex, I got it. The shoulder is a through and through, the leg is a scratch,” Cat explains, pouring whiskey on another clean cloth before trying to clean the wound again. “Now, you’re losing way too much blood. I need to stop the bleeding …”

Alex spits the roll on her chest and croaks.

“It’s beyond suture at this point …White hot blade, right?”

Cat hesitates for a moment but then nods.

“Alright then,” Alex swallows, fear flashing in her eyes but only briefly. “I need more alcohol, and something a bit sturdier than your soft fabric to bite into.” 

Cat has to give her that, Alex is fierce and brave. She’s impressed at how stoically the older Danvers is taking everything in stride.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Alex bites. “It’s not as if I have any choice.”

Cat rolls her eyes and grits her teeth to avoid replying with something too rash.  
She knows Alex is in a lot of pain and discomfort with the all too stressful situation they’ve got into. Her animosity is probably nothing more than her way to lash out, and let off some steam. Cat can’t allow herself to react to it because if she does, it’s going to escalate and nothing good will come of it.

Lucy moves from the end of the couch to bring more alcohol to Alex while Lois goes to find something sturdier to replace the cloth. Winslow stays put. He looks at Alex with so much worry in his eyes that it makes Cat’s heart squeeze in her chest. She tries to offer a half-smile when she meets his eyes, but he doesn’t return the gesture.

“Mom? Do you need anything else?” Carter asks from behind, and she glances over her shoulder to look at him. “Andrea’s all patched up.”

The woman in the armchair still looks a little lost, but her eyes seem more focused and alert. A clean bandage is wrapped around her head, her face shows various scratches, gashes, and splits - and one of her forearms is entirely wrapped in gauze, but otherwise she appears to be alright.

“Thank you, sweetheart. You can add more wood to the fire, it needs more embers.”

Alex audibly gulps at that, but doesn’t say anything. She empties the bottle Lucy’s holding for her and asks for another. Lois quickly uncaps one and hands it over to her sister.

Cat stands up and stretches, feeling the bones crack along her spine. She quickly walks to the kitchen and searches for a knife large enough to work for what she has in mind. It doesn’t take long, and when she returns to the living room, a collective gasp welcomes her.

“I know, it’s impressive but the wounds are critical, and I needed a large blade to avoid doing it too many times,” Cat explains, moving to the fire and placing the cutting side of the knife in the embers. “Lucy, you can prepare more disinfecting cloth, I’m going to need some for each wound …” 

Carter disappears into the kitchen and comes back with a few glasses and a pitcher of water. Quietly, he starts filling the glasses before handing them over to Nia, Eve and Winslow. Lucy shakes her head and politely refuses when he offers one, and Lois does the same. 

“Is she alright?” Carter eventually gestures at Lena, still lying unconscious on the mattress. “She hasn’t moved at all since you guys came in …”

Winslow sighs and nods.

“We had to … knock her out. She was hysterical, yelling, crying, and assaulting everyone that would get too close to her …” Winslow pauses and looks at the Luthor heiress, sadness darkening his blue eyes. “The moment she heard the attackers, she lost it and we had to do something.”

Carter frowns and narrows his eyes at Winslow.

“You don’t understand,” Winslow raises his hands, slightly on the defensive. “She was brutally assaulted, about a year ago, and it broke her. She’s living in her own world now and it’s mostly made of nightmares, shadows, and violence; memories she can’t stop reliving over and over again … It renders her dangerous, to others, and to herself. We knocked her out but it was for her own protection.”

Cat feels a surge of affection for Winslow and how he tried to avoid being too graphic with Carter. She knows he could have been a lot more blunt.

“The attackers …” Carter slowly starts, eyes gleaming thoughtfully. “Are they the same ones who assaulted her, back then?” 

Winslow blinks in surprise and throws an uncertain glance at Cat, who only stares at her son in bewilderment. Lois, too, looks shocked, as well as slightly alarmed.

“How … did someone tell you that, Sweetheart?” Cat asks, trying to search in her memories to see if Carter had been around when the sheriff had told her about Lena’s terrible fate.

“No, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.” Carter replies with a shrug. “There were rumors about Lena Luthor going around National Creek the last few times I went. I overheard a few people in the general store talk about how she either ended up dead or …”

Carter swallows and glances at Lena again.

“... worse.”

Cat closes her eyes for a moment, trying to reign in the powerless feeling that threatens to overwhelm her.  
Carter is growing up too fast. As much as she wants to, she knows she can’t do anything to slow it down. Sometimes, she wishes he could stay a little boy forever, so that the violence of the world would never touch him. 

“The men didn’t say much more but one of them said that he hoped she’d died, instead of suffering whatever hell the Indians or the bandits would put her through.” Carter keeps going, eyes wandering across the faces around him. “Beside, the last time we went to town, I had a chat with the stable boy, and he said the new sheriff kept asking questions about the Luthor murder. He told me the sheriff didn’t seem to believe the Indians had anything to do with it … Which leaves the bandits but so far the only bandits I’ve seen around lately are Maxwell Lord and his men.”

“They’re not exactly …” Lucy tries to intervene.

“I know,” Carter grumbles, flicking his hand in the air. “I know that officially, they’re bounty hunters or whatever, but I’ve had Lord douchebag’s gun against my head, and let me tell you, that man doesn’t care about the law. The only thing that seems to interest him is Kara.”

A thick silence follows his last words, the gunslinger’s absence weighing heavy in everyone’s mind. 

The sound of a crackling log falling into the embers finally brings Cat back to the moment at hand. 

“Alright, the blade is ready. Carter, come help Winslow, you all need to hold Alex in place” Cat states, her voice breaking the uncomfortable silence and making everyone spring into action. “This is going to be even more painful than the pliers, Alex. I’m hoping you’ll pass out but from what I’ve seen, you’re very resilient so you’ll probably be awake the whole time …”

“That’s how lucky I am, I guess,” Alex sasses through her gritted teeth, sweat dripping from her drenched forehead and getting caught in her fluttering eyelashes. “Alright, let’s get this done.”

Cat shrugs and kneels in front of the fire to retrieve the glowing red blade. She wraps the hot handle in a thick towel and tightens her grip on it before approaching the couch. Winslow and Carter are holding Alex by the shoulders while Lois and Lucy get her feet. 

“Bite into this,” Cat orders, offering the folded belt to Alex. 

Alex opens her mouth, seemingly to make a cutting comment but Cat quickly pushes the accessory in between her teeth. After a coughing fit and a withering glare, Alex finally settles back against the cushion and closes her eyes. 

Cat takes another deep breath and clears her mind before getting to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello folks,
> 
> I know, I know, I didn't fix it. If anything ... I only made things worse.  
> Well, I hate to say this but ... there's even more angst to come! Buckle up, ladies and gentlemen, this is gonna be a long and bumpy road.
> 
> You can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/GaneWhoo) but I also have a dedicated tab for this fic on [Tumblr](https://lost-your-memory.tumblr.com/tagged/RDR2-supercat-AU)
> 
> _As always, reviews are nice_  
> 


	10. CHAPTER 10

Cat jolts awake.

Her neck aches painfully from the uncomfortable position she’s slept in; head thrown all the way back over the edge of the couch, and twisted to an impossible angle. She blinks her exhaustion away and carefully moves to be able to look around.

The living room, still plunged in a peaceful darkness, is crowded. 

Lena is softly snoring by the fireplace, surrounded by Eve and Nia who refused Cat’s offer to sleep in her bed. Winslow’s nearby, sat on a chair he brought from the kitchen, with his head resting against the side of Andrea’s armchair. Lucy’s silhouette is barely visible, swallowed in the other armchair. On the couch in front of her, Lois has an arm slung over Carter’s waist and he’s tucked his nose against her collarbone. 

She slowly turns her head, almost groaning at how painful it feels, to look at Alex.

The older Danvers is lying still on her back, with her head on a cushion and her feet popped up on Cat’s lap. A bunch of blankets are haphazardly covering her almost naked body but her injured shoulder is showing and Cat lets out a slightly relieved sigh. No trace of blood, the bandage is still clean. The white gauze seems to gleam under the few moonbeams that spill through the windows. It also sparkles on some spots and Cat frowns at the sweat that covers most of Alex’s skin. It drips from her forehead to the line of her hair and runs from her chin to her collarbone. 

“It’s rude to stare at someone when they’re asleep.”

Cat, startled, almost jumps out of her skin and lets out a muffled curse.

“What the fuck!”

Alex looks at her with amusement in her eyes. She’s pale and the moonlight on her face makes her look like a ghost but Cat figures that it’s not too bad, all things considered. 

“You weren’t sleeping,” Cat mutters under her breath, her heart still thundering in her chest.

“You didn’t know that,” Alex replies, half-a-smile showing on her lips. 

Cat bites the inside of her lips to refrain herself from insulting the older Danvers. She’s exhausted, and the couple hours of sleep she’s managed to get were full of terrible nightmares, all involving a pair of baby blue eyes and a lot of blood. She doesn’t have any patience left.

“Thank you,” Alex suddenly says, taking Cat by surprise. It must have shown because Alex lets out a dry, humorless chuckle. “You didn’t have to help us, but you did. Thank you.”

Cat looks down into the older Danvers’ eyes.

“You don’t like me much, do you?” Cat asks in a whisper. It still sounds deafening, in the quietness of the living room at night. 

Alex tilts her head slightly on the cushion. Her eyes are glazed with pain but she still manages to look thoughtful for a moment.

“I don’t know you,” Alex replies, her voice strained and gruff. “I just know you made my sister happy, for a time … until you made her miserable.” 

The mention of Kara brings Cat back to her nightmares, and she has to swallow against the lump in her throat a few times to clear it. She didn’t think Alex would go straight for it, especially not in her state.

“She was a damn mess when she returned to the camp, around noon. She wasn’t crying or anything but she was obviously distraught,” Alex adds, through her clenched teeth this time. “No wonder Maxwell and his merry men managed to find us.”

Alex’s words take Cat’s breath away and as realisation strikes, she gasps in horror. 

After the things they've thrown at each other, Kara must have been hurting too much to pay attention. It makes perfect sense that Maxwell would take advantage of Kara being distracted and hurt to follow her back to her camp. By being so hard on Kara, Cat had unconsciously led Maxwell to her. 

“Oh my gosh …” Cat chokes out, guilt and terror lining her voice. “It’s all my fault …”

Alex arches an unimpressed brow.

“As much as I would love for that to be true, it’s not.”

Cat blinks and tries to focus on the older Danvers’ eyes. Behind the veil of pain showing in the soulful brown, there’s a hint of coldness.

“Truth is, she should have been more careful. She knew she was under a lot of scrutiny, and yet she still let her guard down,” Alex grumbles. “Now, I’m sure you didn’t help ... but it’s not your fault we’re all in so much trouble today.”

It does nothing to ease Cat’s guilt.

“I was so … horrible, to her …” Cat murmurs, closing her eyes to keep her tears at bay. “I should have been more understanding.”

“What did happen between you two?” Alex asks, frowning up at Cat. “She was all giddy after we came back, despite Lena being in very bad shape, and this morning she looked like she’d once again lost everything.” 

“Once again?” Cat arches a questioning brow. 

“Uh uh,” Alex shakes her head, stopping the moment it pulls at the gauze on her shoulder. “I’m not telling you shit. Now, what did you tell her this morning?”

Cat hesitates but only for a moment. She figures Alex Danvers is probably the best person to help her understand the argument she keeps replaying over and over in her mind.

“Alright …” 

Cat sighs and starts telling Alex everything.

\---

“No wonder she was not herself,” Alex mutters once Cat is done with her story. “That argument was a whole damn mess.”

“Uh …” Cat frowns, slightly offended. She knows Alex is right but still, she was expecting more of an explanation than this blunt, judgmental comment.

“It’s alright, Cat,” Alex sighs, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “You were harsh, there’s no denying, but rightfully so. I honestly thought she’d already told you about the Inze …”

“Which part?” Cat sasses, shrugging. “The fact she’s biologically related to their leader or the fact she asked for some of the Inze to keep an eye on the ranch?”

“Both,” Alex tries to shake her head again, but it aggravates the pain in her shoulder again and she winces. “She told me about it the day she returned from her meeting with Astra … Which was right after you and I met for the first time, at the lake.” 

“The Inze have been watching the ranch for months?” Cat asks, the shock making her voice rise above a whisper. 

It disturbs Lois, who groans in her sleep and tightens her hold around Carter. In her armchair, Lucy turns and it makes the piece of furniture squeak. Winslow readjusts his head along the side of Andrea’s armchair, but no one wakes up. 

“Shhh,” Alex hisses through her teeth.

“Sorry,” Cat mumbles. “But I didn’t know … I thought it was a recent development!” 

“Now you know,” Alex murmurs, trying for a shrug, but wincing in pain when it disturbs her injury. 

“Stop moving too much,” Cat orders, frowning at Alex’s behavior. 

“Anyway,” Alex retorts, seemingly ignoring Cat. “She’s kept so much from you, stuff that directly involved you. It wasn’t fair. Your indignation and your anger were justified.“

Cat doesn’t add anything, simply nodding to let Alex know she heard.

“Still … There’s a lot you don’t know about Kara. It means you can’t understand why she reacted like she did ...”

Alex looks uncertain for a moment, as if wondering if she should tell Cat some of Kara’s story. Cat’s heart squeezes in her chest, but again she keeps quiet. 

“We grew up together in a town called Midvale City, in the west” Alex starts. “Our parents were friends, and they were at our house almost everyday. My parents were doctors, they were very respected and esteemed in town, which is probably why no one ever dared to say something about their assistant, Kara’s mother.”

Alex pauses and looks up to meet Cat’s eyes. Cat doesn’t interrupt but she wonders what Alex’s parents' profession has to do with Kara’s mother.

“I’m sure you can piece it together,” Alex sasses with a smirk. “If Astra Inze is Kara’s biological aunt …” 

“Kara’s mother is an Indian too,” Cat completes, connecting the dots and suddenly remembering Kara talking about how her mother left the Inze before she turned eighteen.   
It had slipped her mind, with everything that happened. 

“Was, yes,” Alex whispers, sadness lining her voice. It makes Cat’s heart drop in her chest and she raises a hand to her mouth to cover it, to muffle the slight “no” that escapes her lips.

“Kara was thirteen when her parents died in a fire,” Alex breathes, eyes shining under the moonlight. “They lived on the outskirts of Midvale, because while no one dared to say anything to them directly, it would have surely caused a revolt if they had lived in town … That night, Kara was at our place, we were having a sleepover.”

Alex lets out a deep breath before focusing on her story.

“The house burned all night, and in the morning there was nothing left. The authorities confirmed that the two bodies they pulled out of the rubble were Kara’s parents, and that the fire was accidental. My parents took her in the same day, but she was … I don’t have the words to describe it.”

A few tears escape Cat’s eyes, and she discreetly wipes at them before focusing back on Alex. The older Danvers doesn’t comment on it.

“She became very quiet, after that night,” Alex sighs. “She used to be so full of joy, always rambling about one thing or another, laughing with her heart, and I swear her smile could have lit up the whole world but after that night … She changed. She still kept her name, despite my parents officially adopting her.”

Kara Zor-El, a name spread on all the most wanted posters in the country, the one Maxwell used to talk about her.   
Cat nods, understanding Kara’s need to cling to the one thing left from her past. 

“When she was eighteen ...” Alex pauses, looking into Cat’s eyes with hesitation. “Someone snitched on her, and she got caught in bed with another woman. To this day, I still don’t understand how she got caught because she’d been so careful that even I didn’t have a clue about her preferences, and I was living with her!”

Cat sucks in a sharp breath, having a vague idea of what’s coming next. 

“As you probably know, it’s a crime punishable by death, and even with my parents being the most influential people in town, she got sentenced,” Alex lets out a ragged breath. “We ran away the same night, moments before the authorities came to knock on our door.”

“You ran away with her?” Cat asks, feeling a surge of affection for Alex Danvers.

“Of course I did,” Alex snorts, sounding almost outraged that Cat could have thought otherwise. “I’m her sister. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for her, nothing.”

Cat offers a shy smile to reassure Alex and to show that she understands.

“Anyway, it explains why Kara was so desperate to protect you. She’s lost a lot in her life, and however clumsily, the Inze’s surveillance was her way to make sure she didn’t lose you,” Alex concludes, breathlessly. “You should have seen her when the Indian spy told her about the attack on your boy ...”

Alex turns her head to look at Carter, safely tucked against Lois on the opposite couch. Cat follows her line of sight, heart swelling with affection at the scene. 

“She doesn’t love easily, you know?” Alex murmurs, softly this time. “I told you about how she changed after her parent’s death, how she became shell-shocked and quiet, distant. For the first time since that night I’ve seen hints of the girl she was before, and it was the morning after she fell in bed with you.”

Cat suddenly feels grateful for the relative darkness of the room. It hides the blush that creeps up from her neck to her cheeks, tinting the tips of her ears as well. The memories of that night, still very fresh, flash back before her eyes and only aggravates her condition. 

“I can feel you blushing,” Alex sasses but it’s almost gentle, coming from her. “What I’m saying is, the argument you had this morning came from love, on both sides I believe.”

Cat stays silent.

“You do love her, right?” Alex asks, frowning and looking back at Cat. 

“I do,” Cat breathes, not even hesitating. 

It’s nothing but the truth. She can’t pinpoint the exact moment she realised she’d fallen for the gunslinger, but she knows, she just knows that it’s love. 

“Easy there, let’s not tie that knot right away,” Alex quietly laughs. Cat rolls her eyes, but she can’t help the smile that graces her lips, genuine and soft. Alex’s tone becomes more serious when she adds “We need to get her back.”

It brings Cat back to the present.   
Her smile drops and her heart misses a few beats, fear clenching it painfully at the thought of losing Kara.

“How?” Cat asks, too terrified to form a full sentence.

“I have an idea,” Alex replies.

The look in her eyes, full of determination, gleams under the moonlight and makes her look a little crazy.

\---

“I don’t understand,” Carter grumbles. “Why can’t someone else come with you?”

He’s standing in front of the small carriage Cat is harnessing, hands on his hips and a frown above his stormy blue eyes.

“I’ve explained it to you twice already, sweetheart,” Cat replies, walking around the two horses she’s tying to the carriage. 

“You’ve told me it’s a long shot, and it’s dangerous; so again, why are you going without serious backup?” Carter insists, staying put and making a point of not helping his mother. “Alex’s injured, weak, barely able to walk, and yet you two are going to see the leader of the most ruthless Indian tribe around. Tell me again, how is that a good idea?”

With his hands on his hips and the tilt of his head- he looks like her, but the sharpness of his voice as he’s pointing out the flaws of her plan is all Lois, up to the slight sarcasm in his latest question. 

“He’s got a point,” Lois conveniently adds, stopping next to the young boy. Instinctively, she mirrors his position, and Cat finds herself faced with two disapproving faces. “Let me come with you, Cat. This is way too dangerous for you to go all alone with a crippled Danvers.” 

“Asshole.”

Everyone startles at the quiet curse that follows Lois’ words.   
On the porch behind Lois and Carter, Alex is leaning against a wooden beam supporting the roof; the look in her eyes is full of anger, but her face is still glistening with sweat and showing her pain. 

“Fair enough,” Lois raises her hands in a gesture meant to be peaceful. “You’re not exactly crippled, sure. You’re still injured though, in like five different places, and it doesn’t make you the greatest partner for such an expedition.” 

Alex stays quiet for a moment. Her clenched jaw and closed fists betray her inner fight against the pain in her body, but her eyes are clear enough.

Suddenly, she starts speaking in another language. It’s foreign, a little harsh but strangely flowing, almost melodious. Cat recognizes the language Kara spoke once or twice, and she connects the dots to that one time the Inze attacked her in the woods.

“You speak their language,” Cat states. “You speak Inze.”

Alex nods, her eyes still intent on Lois. 

“I do, yes. Which means I’m the only one who can actually meet and talk with Astra.”

Carter looks awed, but he’s quick to intervene.

“Alright, what does it have to do with mom? Why not take Winslow, Lucy, or anyone else from your gang? Or Lois even …” He asks, glancing back at his mother. “Why are you going mom?”

“Because someone needs to keep an eye on Alex and her injuries. I’ve patched her up, but not for her to go die in a ditch somewhere,” Cat replies, a little too sharply. She softens and faces her son when she adds “Beside, it’s something I need to do.”

He looks hesitant and unsure, obviously torn between wanting to protect her and understanding that she wants to save Kara.

“Fine,” Lois relents first. She looks annoyed, but resigned. “Then you be careful, alright? Don’t play the hero around the Inze.” 

Cat pauses in her task to come hug her friend. Lois’ hands tighten against her back and she hears the whispers in her ear “Please, come back to us.” 

Cat’s heart squeezes in her chest, but she closes her arms around Lois and murmurs “I will.” 

Carter comes behind her and hugs them both. Cat soaks in the love of her family, drawing strength from it. 

They stay that way for a moment, under the melancholic gaze of Alex Danvers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright folks
> 
> This is a short update and I'm sorry about it, but I hope you still liked it! I started a new job last Monday and it's been keeping me insanely busy ... I am planning on writing this weekend, to further this story and maybe even finish it ( _though I'm pretty sure it'll take another couple of weekends, if I'm being honest_ ) and then I'll move onto Castle on the hill, cause it's about time I finish this fic.
> 
> The next update will be longer and it'll feature more scenes, I promise.
> 
> Until then
> 
> _As always, reviews are nice_


	11. CHAPTER 11

“Did something ever happen, between Lois and you?” 

Cat glances at the older Danvers for a moment before focusing back on guiding the wagon along an almost invisible and impossibly narrow path.   
She’s regretted taking the wagon ever since they left the main road to follow some sinuous roads only Alex seemed to know about, but with her injuries, the older Danvers couldn’t ride. 

“Everyone keeps asking me that …” Cat retorts, sarcasm lining her voice.

“Given how close you two are, it doesn’t seem so far fetched,” Alex shrugs. 

The gesture still makes her wince, but she seems more comfortable with her shoulder injury now. It’s been two days since Cat patched her up and the wounds are still very fresh and sensitive, but against all odds, it holds. She should be on a bed somewhere resting, and making sure she doesn’t move; of course, there’s no telling the older Danvers that.

“We’ve lived together for a long, long time. She’s family, now. She raised my son almost as much as I did, and while I once harbored those kinds of feelings for her … she didn’t reciprocate.” Cat explains through a long exhale, tired of having to explain her relationship with Lois everytime someone witnesses their bond. 

“So you did love her like that, at one point in your life,” Alex wonders out loud, keeping her eyes focused on the road.

“I did, but with time, it faded away,” Cat nods, forcing the horses to slow down to pass over a small dip in the barely there road. “She’s … someone incredibly precious to me. I do love her, but like a sister and a best-friend.”

“You still built a life with her though, which is usually something you do with a … romantic partner,” Alex comments but it doesn’t sound judgmental.

“I did, yes. Mostly because of circumstances, but I’m not denying that I chose her, the day I met her. There’s something to be said for the family we choose, instead of the one we are born into ...”

“You’re good, I’ll give you that.” Alex chuckles. “I get it. Kara is my family by choice if not by blood. The gang is, too. What’s left of it anyway ...”

The sadness in Alex’s voice is heavy and heartbreaking.   
It reminds Cat of Kara and all the losses she’d suffered in her life. She figures that Alex, who never left her sister’s side, must have gone through similar tragedies. 

“I’m so sorry about your friends, Alex,” Cat offers, quietly, eyes on the road.

“Thank you,” Alex acknowledges the empathy. “My best-friend died in the assault. Lois reminds me of her in some ways, it’s … hard.” 

Cat thinks back on the way Alex had looked at her when she was being hugged by Lois and her son, right before they left, and her heart breaks a little in her chest.

“Her name was Susan,” Alex continues, voice soft and quiet. Cat doesn’t look at the older Danvers, but she listens. “I met her a few months after leaving Midvale with Kara. She almost shot me in the butt when she found me hunched over a boar I had killed, telling me I was on her land, and that it was a crime to hunt on private property. She was … blunt and harsh, witty too. Like Lois.”

Cat bites the inside of her cheeks to avoid smiling, intuitively knowing it wouldn’t be well received. That tidbit of information Alex offered is enough for her to see the similarities between the two women, even if she never met Susan. 

“I’m going to miss her,” Alex whispers.

Cat hesitates for a moment, wondering if Alex is ready to hear what she wants to say. Eventually, she sighs and steadies her shoulders.

“Winslow, Eve, and Nia have gone back to the camp to give your friends a proper burial,” Cat slowly states, careful not to provoke Alex. “Maybe you can go say goodbye, once we get Kara back ...”

Alex stays silent, and Cat doesn’t dare add anything, knowing she’d already pushed her luck. 

The carriage slowly makes it through the densest part of the forest, and the wheels often get caught in the thick brushes scattered on both sides of the impracticable path. The horses are struggling and Cat is focused on guiding them, almost step by step, not wanting to get stuck in the middle of one of the most dangerous parts of the land. 

The sky above their head is mostly clouded by the dense foliage of the trees, but sometimes, through a hole in the canopy, a beam of sunlight slips through and hits the forest ground. It gives the woods a mystical glow, the golden rays filtering through the branches here and there, and warming the woods, highlighting the green moss, and making the floating dust look almost magical. 

“Maybe,” Alex eventually replies, a while after Cat’s suggestion.

The silence that follows Alex’s admission is not exactly uncomfortable, but it’s still tense and heavy with anticipation. Cat focuses back on the horses, and the many obstacles that slow them down, following the directions Alex utters from time to time.

Half an hour later, Cat pulls on the reins and forces the horses to stop. 

They can’t go any further, for there’s a wall of vegetation standing in front of them. 

It looks thick and dense, with sinuous branches intertwined together, blooming with green foliage, and spiked with thorns. A few roses are fading away across the natural wall, some of a deep crimson color, and the others a pale white shade, with hints of pink on the petals. It’s strangely beautiful, spreading wide along the sides and going up in the air as if it was meant to touch the sky. 

“We’re here,” Alex grunts from her seat on the passenger side. “Don’t move, we’re being watched.”

“We are?” Cat squeaks, forcing herself to keep her eyes on Alex to avoid looking around.

“Yes,” Alex adds without nodding. “Two Indians up in the trees behind us and I spot four more, hidden in the foliage in front of us.” 

Cat slowly turns her head to survey the wall of vegetation, but she doesn’t see anything beyond the branches and the few flowers. She briefly thinks there must be a water source nearby, for the roses to have blossomed so well in this natural setting.

“You have to let me do the talking,” Alex says, her voice calm and collected. “Most of them don’t speak English so I need you to follow my lead.”

Cat nods, slowly. She doesn’t like it one bit but she doesn’t have a choice.

Alex’s voice rises up next to her, speaking words in a language she doesn’t understand.

It’s harsh and melodic at once, and Cat recognizes it from that time Kara spoke it in the barn, before she left to lure Maxwell Lord away. Memories of a snowy ambush flash before her eyes, and she thinks back on when Kara had to argue with the infamous Astra to let Cat live. It almost feels like finally finding the pieces of a puzzle that had been right here, in front of her, all this time. 

There’s a shiver in the foliage, roses trembling ever so slightly, before two indians slowly emerge from the thick wall of vegetation. They’re holding their bows in their hands, not bent, but with an arrow tucked in between their fingers. 

The one on the left, a woman, speaks in return and Alex nods before replying. 

Eventually, the Indians unnock their arrows and place them in the quivers on their back. The woman disappears into the foliage while the other indian, a man, gestures for them to get down from the wagon. 

Cat stares for a moment, taken aback by how young the indian looks.   
He seems barely two years older than Carter, but he is taller and sturdier, with muscles twitching everywhere on his bare torso. His eyes are of a deep brown that looks almost black when the sunlight doesn’t hit his face. Three stripes of blue paint mar his cheeks and he has a blue handprint upon his heart. 

Cat slowly gets down from her seat and walks around the carriage to help Alex down, mindful of both the injury and the older Danvers’ pride. She’s half-expecting an insult so she’s pleasantly surprised when Alex simply leans on her.

They walk up to the Indian and he turns away to push a few branches, revealing the way to a clear path amongst the vegetation. It’s dark and narrow, smells like humid wood and lichen, but it’s practicable so Cat follows after Alex, the young man closing up the rear.

From time to time, he shouts a few words and Cat figures it must be directions because Alex doesn’t answer, she simply keeps going. Sometimes, a ray of sunlight pierces through the vegetation, but it’s rare. As they go further and further into the maze the ground starts to vibrate, and a low rumble rises in the air, becoming louder with every step they take.

When they finally emerge on the other side of the vegetation wall, Cat understands where the sound came from. 

The waterfall in front of her is lively and loud, rumbling.   
The water flies from the top of the rocky mountain and plunges into the naturally carved small lake at the bottom of it. Cat has been to the ocean, she’s seen some lakes up in the mountains, but never in her life has she witnessed such a pure shade of blue. A sentence from Kara’s letter echoes in her mind; some lakes that are so blue it looks like a piece of summer sky got caught within. Like Carter’s eyes, or Kara’s. 

The woman who spoke with Alex earlier is standing next to the water point, seemingly waiting for them. They don’t talk but Alex instantly follows the woman and Cat goes after her. She glances over her shoulder to see if the young man is following but to her surprise, he’s already going back into the thick vegetation wall. 

The woman guides them along a path carved into the mountain that disappears behind the waterfall. They get a little wet on the way, and the moisture in the tunnels they travel through next makes Cat shudder and hug herself as she walks. 

After about fifteen minutes, they exit the tunnels and Cat stops dead in her tracks.

The view that greets them is breathtaking.

In a lower valley protected from the rest of the world by the mountains and encompassed in a haven of greenery, the Inze village is thriving. The bright sunlight hits the white of the tents, shines on the green grass, warms the plants and flowers, and reflects on the streams that flow to a lake pushed against the side of a mountain. The water here is as blue as the lake at the bottom of the waterfalls, Cat notices. 

Horses are scattered all over the valley, seemingly free of ties and barriers.   
One of them trots to the trio and Cat watches, mesmerized, as it approaches without any kind of apprehension. She’s never seen such a color, creamy light-brown with a black mane, on a horse. The curious animal sniffles her and then pushes at her shoulder, so she pats it on the neck and caresses its head. 

The Inze woman who guided them here suddenly whistles. The horse neighs against Cat’s ears before trotting away, leaving Cat to blink in surprise.

“Not what you were expecting, right?” Alex chuckles next to her. 

Cat nods, dumbfounded and slightly lost. She wants to retort with the snappy comment that threatens to leave her lips, but she knows it wouldn’t do any good, so she swallows it. She feels out of her depth here, and she doesn’t have any choice but to trust Alex, who’s been nothing but rude ever since they first met. To say she feels uncomfortable would be the understatement of the century. 

“Come on,” Alex nudges, already following the woman toward the village. Cat goes after them with wide and wandering eyes, ready to take everything in. 

On their way, they encounter more Indians.

Women with loads of corn tucked in portable baskets they carry on their back, followed by energetic children that chat and laugh in that strange language Cat can’t understand. The few men they meet are old and grey, with creases on their faces that speak of the lives they’ve lived. Every one of them stops to curiously look at the strangers as they walk by, the children even following after them until the voice of their mothers call them back. 

Cat thinks they don’t look at all impressive, far from the tales she’s heard about the Inze tribes. All she sees are regular human beings living their lives.   
It unsettles her, somehow. She’d expected warriors, armed to the teeth with weapons and dipped in war paint, not the peaceful and quiet domesticity of life. Another gaggle of children run around them before being called back, and two old men frown at them, uttering words Cat doesn’t understand. She doesn’t need to, the reprobative tone is universally used to tell strangers they’re not welcome. She walks a little faster, getting closer to the older Danvers.

“Where are the young men and women?” Cat murmurs to Alex as they enter the village.

She’s seen mothers, children and elderly but no in-between and she wonders if the missing ages are the ones wearing war paint and brandishing weapons. 

“Youth is for war,” the woman ahead of them replies without looking at her. Her English is harsh and blunt, with strange intonations to it, but Cat understands anyway.

“The young men and women are roaming the lands, hunting for food and chasing away the few unfortunate souls that come too close to the Inze Valley,” Alex elaborates, glancing over at Cat. “In some remote villages, trade is even possible between the Inze and the ranchers so the few young indians who speak English are sent to negotiate.” 

The tents are big and luxurious, most of them with blue frescos rounding them.   
The blue color is everywhere in sight, around and atop the tents, on the feathers accessorizing everything, and on some of the outfits; sleeveless dresses for the women and pagnes for the men, all decorated with the typical feathers. The men also have paint on their faces and bare torsos, while only some of the women have blue stripes on their cheeks and foreheads. 

Cat watches as a young girl, barely thirteen years old at the most, approaches her. The teenager seems enthralled by something and slowly reaches out a hand to Cat’s face, whose first instinct is to step back to avoid it. 

“Don’t protest, it’s a good sign,” Alex warns. 

Fighting off the unease she feels, Cat swallows and stands still. The young girl gently touches Cat’s blond curls, eyes wide and full of wonder. She runs her hand through the hair and then lets out a giddy chuckle. The smiles she offers Cat is bright and wide, infectious. She can’t help but to smile in return. The young girl says something soft and gentle and Cat turns her eyes to Alex, silently asking for some kind of translation.

“She likes you,” Alex confirms, warmly. 

She speaks a few words to the teenager, who smiles once more and then saunters away to a woman who stands at the front of a tent with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. 

“What did you tell her?” Cat asks, frowning when the woman grumbles at the teenager.

“A kind of Inze blessing,” Alex explains. “Blond hair is … unusual and it’s probably the first time she’s seen some, hence the fascination. I mean ... the only other one they’ve seen is Kara and she only has shades.” 

Cat looks back at the teenager, who appears unbothered by whatever her mother is telling her. Both women have black hair and tanned skin, their dark eyes shining strangely in the middle of their faces. The traits are shared by most of the Indians she sees, aside from a few green eyes, and some lighter shades of brown hair for a few of them. 

She wonders why Kara doesn’t look at all like the people here. There’s still so much she doesn’t know about the gunslinger, it makes her head spin and her heart squeeze. She prays she will have a chance to ask Kara about everything. 

“Come on, Cat. Astra’s waiting for us.” Alex calls, having stopped a few steps away to wait for Cat.

“She is?” Cat swallows, feeling a little scared for the first time since they met the Inze. She quickly joins Alex, and walks alongside the older Danvers. 

“Yes. I’ve requested an audience with her, and she’s been warned,” Alex explains, glancing at Cat. “Are you alright? You look a little pale …” 

“I’m fine,” Cat replies through her teeth, not wanting to show how uncomfortable the upcoming meeting makes her. 

The idea of finally meeting the leader of the infamous Inze tribe sends a shiver down her spine, despite the fact it was the whole point of their trip. The woman was famous across the whole country for being the most ruthless killer out there, far more dangerous than even the worst “most-wanted” people-whose posters are plastered everywhere. That woman also happened to be Kara’s aunt. 

“She’s not that bad. I mean … she is, but she won’t do anything to us,” Alex sighs, obviously sensing the tension in Cat’s body. “She has every flaw you can think of but when it comes to family … she’s loyal to a fault. She’ll help.” 

Cat nods, but doesn’t reply. The whole ordeal makes her stomach churn. It’s only because they don’t have any other choice that she’s here, because Hank wouldn’t lift a finger to help a most-wanted person, and no one else could take on Maxwell Lord and his merry men. 

“Listen, Astra is … “ Alex’s voice lowers. “I have a... kind of a history with her. Don’t say anything, let me do the talking, and if she appears to speak directly to you, don’t reply. I’ll handle it.”

Cat arches a surprised brow at that. She’s itching to ask about the history Alex has with Kara’s aunt, but she’s afraid of getting on the older Danvers’ bad side, so she simply nods. She can’t do anything to risk jeopardizing the whole operation.

Their guide exits the village and leads them toward the lake, sometimes talking with a few Inze on the way, but without stopping. Alex grumbles next to her and Cat throws her a questioning glance.

“I was expecting an official meeting, in her tent … Not a public display,” Alex explains, gesturing toward the lake’s shore.

Under a magnificent old tree, fully bloomed with green leaves, a woman is sitting against the trunk. It’s still too far away so Cat can’t discern anything, but she still notices the bright crimson shade of the woman’s dress. A crowd of young men and women are spread on the grass in front of her. 

“I’m guessing the only one not wearing blue is the leader …” Cat whispers, eying the woman as they walk closer.

“Astra Inze, yes,” Alex nods. “She’s probably teaching the younglings about their main deity; Rao. It’s what they call the sun, symbolized with red. The Inze are not exactly religious people, but they still have some deities they pray to, tied to nature. The blue you see everywhere is because they’re devoted to Cythonna. Her title doesn’t translate well in English.”

“What’s the closest translation then?” Cat insists, curious. She genuinely wants to know but it’s also a welcome distraction from the impending encounter.

“Goddess of Ice and Mother of Monsters,” Alex replies after a beat. 

It earns her a funny glance from their guide but the woman doesn’t say anything and simply focuses on bringing them to her leader. Cat swallows and nods.

“How … fitting,” She murmurs, eyes trained on the woman they’re here to see.

As they come closer, some details start to jump out. 

Astra’s hair is of a warm shade of brown, lighter than anything she’s seen so far within the Inze tribe. It flows in tight curls around her head, and as she moves the sunlight sometimes reflects on the silver-white streak that stands out in the middle of her wild mane. It looks foreign, a fascinating oddity framing a face that looks pale, in comparison to the Inze’ usual complexion. 

They all are children of the sun while she looks like the daughter of the moon.

The guide abruptly stops and gestures for Cat and Alex to stay there. They watch as the woman respectfully approaches her leader and whispers a few words to her ear. It lasts a few seconds before Astra raises a hand and flicks her wrist a few times.

In no time, the young people gathered in the grass in front of her stand up and scatter away. Cat hears the excitement in their tone as a few of them walk by on their way to the village. It’s probably the first time in their life a religious lesson is cut short, Cat guesses. 

The guide comes back and speaks with Alex, who nods and then smiles at the woman.   
Cat has found that while she doesn’t understand exactly what’s being said, a few universal tones make it easier to guess. For example, the genuine gratefulness in Alex’s tone and the gentleness in her smile tell Cat she’s probably thanking the woman for her help. 

The guide utters a few words and then walks away toward the village.

“Did she say good luck?” Cat asks, frowning at the guide’s back.

“She … did, yes. You’re a fast learner,” Alex nods, sounding slightly impressed.

“Not really. I’m just a good listener, and the tones used are mostly the same as when we speak English.” Cat retorts with a shrug, already focusing back on the woman they were here to see. “She’s still sitting down, what do we do?” 

“She’s waiting for us to come to her, so we walk.” Alex says, doing just that. “Remember, Cat, let me do the talking, and follow my lead, whatever happens.” 

More than ever, Cat feels out of her depth, but the ultimate goal is worth the trouble, ten times over. She goes after Alex.

Under the tree, bathing in the relative shadow provided by the dense foliage above, Astra’s eyeing their approach. A few sunbeams play on her hair and dress, following the rhythm of the gentle breeze in the leaves, and it gives her a strange aura. Her features are delicate and full of a grace that immediately reminds Cat of Kara. The edges of her face are sharp but royal, with a unique sort of dignity that gives the woman an imperturbable poise. 

Alex finally stops two steps away from the Inze leader and Cat stops slightly behind.

When she looks up to meet with Astra’s eyes, her heart stops in her chest.

Astra’s irises are of the purest blue Cat’s ever seen.   
It’s familiar and yet incredibly new, disturbingly so. It’s like looking at Kara but older, wilder, darker. An endless war rages in Astra’s eyes, it evoques the quiet waters hiding the dangerous undercurrents at the bottom. Cat sees the unquenchable thirst for violence and blood, but also the familiar dullness of someone who’s suffered too many losses to count. 

Alex bows in front of Astra and it takes a second for Cat to remember she has to follow the older Danvers’ lead. She bows as well, still shaken by what she’s seen in Astra’s eyes as well as its familiarity. 

“Fazhur chahv.”

Cat’s thrown by the softness held in those two little words. She risks a glance up and catches the sparkle of affection that lightens Astra’s eyes before it disappears. Cat wonders if it’s the history Alex told her about earlier.

“Kur jregr” Alex respectfully replies before straightening up, gesturing for Cat to do so as well.

Cat stores the words in her mind, already planning on asking Alex for the translation. She watches as Alex takes a deep breath before speaking again. Her voice is calm and collected, the words flowing easily from her mouth and she doesn’t use her hands at all. It feels a little weird to watch the older Danvers, usually so expressive with her hands and body, to be so still while talking. 

The moment Alex pronounces Kara’s full name, Astra jumps on her feet and starts talking animatedly, anger and worry distorting her otherwise graceful features. The fire in her eyes grows and flares, sending a shiver down Cat’s spine. Unlike Alex, she does use her hands, and her whole body to express how furious she feels, how deeply concerned she is. Cat doesn’t need a translator, Astra’s facial journey is telling enough.

Alex replies without ever missing a beat, and Cat hears the name of Maxwell Lord, which only seems to darken Astra’s already foul mood. Which; fair enough, Cat thinks. The so-called bounty-hunter usually has that effect on people.

Astra’s voice is grave and deep, but strong, carrying a brewing thunderstorm. She exudes power and authority in a way Cat finds strangely fascinating.   
At this moment, she can picture the Inze leader atop a galloping horse, brandishing a tomahawk, or firing blue arrows from a big bow, face painted in blue and yelling for war. She can imagine the trail of death, heads separated from their bodies and decorating pikes, crushed bones used to make more weapons, blue paint mixed with crimson blood.

“Cat,” Alex calls, tugging at her sleeve. “Astra’s asked for your name.” 

Cat blinks in surprise and focuses on the Inze leader, who eyes her curiously. The unsettling blue eyes are strangely calm and Cat wonders what it is Astra sees in her, in this moment.

“Catherine Grant. Cat.” Cat states, slowly, hoping she’s articulating well enough for the Inze leader to understand her words. 

The look of surprise on Astra’s face is unexpected and Cat glances at Alex, not knowing what to do. 

“Khaoghao?” Astra asks, tilting her head to the side, frowning.

Alex chuckles, eyes sparkling with amusement, and Cat is quick to understand what Astra asked. She shakes her head no, narrowing her eyes at the Inze leader before talking to the older Danvers.

“No, not the animal,” Cat grumbles, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“You caught that, uh?” Alex chuckles again before speaking to Astra, setting the record right. At least, Cat hopes it’s what Alex does, she has no way to be sure. She’ll have to ask Kara, once they get her back.

“Katerineh” Astra tries, after hearing Alex pronounce the full name another couple of times. 

Close enough, Cat thinks as she nods. 

“Kat,” Astra repeats, forcing a bit too much on the first letter but again, Cat lets it slide and nods.

“Kara zrhueiao.” 

Cat looks at Alex for the translation but Alex looks a little puzzled, as if not understanding what it means. Astra repeats the few words and adds some sentences before Alex nods and turns to Cat.

‘Zrhueiao usually means cute, handsome, beautiful or even lovely but it can also be used as a noun,” Alex explains, her face neutral. “Kara zrhueiao means … Kara’s beloved.”

Cat’s heart misses a beat, and a warm feeling settles in her stomach. It shouldn’t make her so happy to hear someone else refer to her as Kara’s loved one, but it does and given the context, she’ll take everything she can get.

She nods once more and offers a shy smile to the leader of the Inze tribe. She doesn’t get one in return but the look she receives is calm and peaceful, which is good enough for her. 

“Does that mean she’ll help?” Cat dares, looking at Alex with pleading eyes.

Alex turns back toward Astra and starts speaking again. This time, her speech is faster and a little more lively. She gestures with her hands once or twice, until a wider move makes her wince.

Astra frowns and approaches the older Danvers, reaching a hand to push aside the collar of Alex’s shirt. She’s slow and gentle, careful. Cat watches, a little mesmerized, as Astra uncovers the gauze that protects Alex’s injury. Red drops stain the white fabric, meaning the wound had been ripped open once more. 

Astra softly speaks and Alex pushes the Inze hand away, a stubborn look etched on her face. When she retorts, the annoyance is crystal clear in her voice. She waves her other hand and steps away from Astra, still talking. Cat thinks she sees a flash of hurt cross the Inze woman’s face, but it disappears too quickly for her to be sure.

“Zha.” 

It means no, Cat is sure of it. She just doesn’t know what Astra is saying no to. 

Alex marches right up to Astra’s face and lashes out. She all but growls in Inze, spluttering words of rage and anger Cat doesn’t understand, but the tone alone says that Alex’s getting in trouble. Astra doesn’t seem phased though. She doesn’t move, she doesn’t interrupt, she only stands still while Alex invades her personal space. It makes Cat think it’s not the first time Alex has been in her face.

“Zha.” Astra repeats, causing Alex to let out a furious growl through her gritted teeth. Jaw and fists clenched, Alex looks ready to fight and Astra doesn’t seem like she will budge.

“What’s happening?” Cat asks, hoping to distract Alex for a moment. It wouldn’t do any good, for anyone, if the older Danvers started a fight with the Inze leader, Kara’s aunt.

“She refuses to let me, us, help,” Alex spits out, turning her murderous glare at Cat. It’s definitely scary to be on the receiving end of such a look, and Cat wonders how Astra can stay so still in the face of it.

“What do you mean?” 

“She says she’s going to take care of it and retrieve Kara from Lord Douchebag's hands, but she doesn’t want us there.”

“Why not?”

“She says I’m injured and too weak to fight, and that with you being Kara’s beloved, she doesn’t want to risk her niece’s anger by putting you in danger,” Alex growls once more, anger burning in her darkened eyes. She’s pacing the grass in between Astra and Cat, obviously trying to reign in her feelings. “I fucking can’t believe it.”

“Is it a thing in this family?” Cat sarcastically asks, raising a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose while she closes her eyes. “I’ve had about enough of people telling me what to do, and what not to do under the pretext they know better than me.”

“Try telling her that,” Alex deadpans, gesturing toward the imperturbable Inze leader. Astra’s watching Alex’s move with rapt attention but she doesn’t seem inclined to compromise.

“I’m guessing we don’t have a choice here?” Cat sighs, not really asking. She knows the answer already, it’s written in Alex’s angry helplessness. 

“Good guess,” Alex snorts, throwing an angry look at Astra.

“Then tell her we agree but on one condition,” Cat decides, looking up to meet Astra’s unsettling blue eyes.

“Which is ?” Alex inquires, sounding curious and angry at once.

“She has to deliver Kara to us,” Cat states. Alex gives her a funny look and seems about to protest when Cat raises a hand to continue. “She’s probably going to be in bad shape, and I have modern medicine at my house, I’ll take care of her. Tell her it’s the only way we’ll agree to a deal and leave the village.”

“You do know she can kick us out of here in a second, right? Also, what makes you think she’ll hold up her end of the deal?” Alex asks, sarcasm lining her voice, but she sounds intrigued. Her anger has reduced and her eyes are coming back to their natural soulful brown color.

“I’m Kara Zrhueiao,” Cat smirks. “I’m guessing the name Cat Grant doesn’t mean anything here but this … This is a title I can use. Besides, I’m guessing there’s a reason Kara didn’t go to her aunt when she first went on the run, or ever since.”

Alex doesn’t reply right away. Her eyes grow distant and she bites on her lower lip, a tell-tale sign she’s thinking. Cat doesn’t push but her own mind is made, and she won’t leave this village until she has Astra’s word. She’s not exactly sure she can trust Kara’s aunt but since they don’t have a choice, she can only hope the Inze will honor her word.   
Now, she just has to give it. 

Turning to face Astra, the older Danvers starts speaking again. It’s calm and neutral, a little stilted, but following the intonations, Cat understands that Alex is stating their conditions. It does not seem to please Astra, who frowns and shakes her head, but Alex doesn’t relent and repeats some of the sentences she’s previously stated.

It takes a while but in the end, Astra relents and lets out only one word.

“Zhi.”

Alex doesn’t have to translate for Cat to know it means yes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello
> 
> So finally, the infamous Astra Inze, with a hint of General Danvers for those who like the ship. A lot to unpack here, am I right? I had some fun with the Inze folklore, borrowing stuff from different sources and making them my own, as much as possible.
> 
> Also, don't worry about the translation, it'll be explained in the next chapter. 
> 
> I hope you liked it!
> 
> _As always, reviews are nice_


	12. CHAPTER 12

“You’re … uncharastically quiet,” Alex comments after almost an hour of perfect silence. “I would have thought that after everything you’ve seen and heard, you’d be bursting with questions …” 

After their audience with Astra, their guide had returned to lead them back to the maze of vegetation. There, the young Indian with a blue handprint upon his heart had accompanied the two women to their carriage, helped Alex get on the passenger seat, and then disappeared back in the thick foliage. 

Cat hasn’t said a word since Astra ended their meeting. Lost in her thoughts, and still processing everything she’d witnessed in the Inze valley while guiding the horses out of the woods and back on the main road leading to her ranch. 

“Come on,” Alex sighs. “I know you’re probably dying to ask a few things.”

“Actually …” Cat finally muses, uncertainty echoing in her voice. “How come Kara’s name is Zor-El? Her mother was an Inze but Zor-El sounds like an Indian name too … Does it come from her father?”

“Of all the questions you could ask me, this is the one you choose?” Alex sasses, clearly amused. Cat glances at her and sees a smirk on the older Danvers’ lips.

“Let’s start with that,” Cat retorts, without elaborating. The truth is that she does want to hear more about the gunslinger, but she’s clinging to the hope Kara herself will be the one to share her story.

“Alright,” Alex nods, taking a deep breath. “Zor-El is … It was the name of another tribe of Indians. Years ago, they used to live on a peaceful and quiet island full of wonders you and I can only imagine …”

The awe in Alex’s voice makes Cat smile a little. 

“Kara’s grandmother, on her mother’s side, was the daughter of their leader. She’d been only a young girl when the island was discovered by white people. Like everywhere else, they brought new diseases with them and it killed almost all of the Zor-El people. She escaped, by boat, to our country where she sought refuge in the Inze tribe. She met Kara’s grandfather and took his name when she married him.”

“Isn’t it … unusual? I thought the Indians didn’t change their name, ever?” 

“You know that?” Alex arches an impressed brow. “It is unusual, yes. Indians never abandon the name they are born with, no matter what but … I guess she wanted to leave her past behind her. I believe she was the only survivor of her tribe, maybe it was too painful to keep hearing the name …”

“How do you know all that?” Cat asks, slowing down the horses once more to avoid colliding with a tree. “You seem so sure, and yet you said you guess she was the last Zor-El alive …”

“Alura, Kara’s mother, used to tell us stories about her past when we were growing up,” Alex sighs, melancholy lacing her voice. “She taught me so much, in the few years I knew her. She was … unique, in ways I can’t even put into words. She had a smile that could have lit up the whole world, soft and gentle, incredibly kind. She cared, so much, and about everything. She paid attention to the birds, the clouds, the flow of the waters, the snow, the rain, the flowers, the food, the people, too. She was ... in love with life.”

“She sounds like an amazing woman,” Cat smiles, trying to swallow against the sadness lodged in her throat. 

She couldn’t help but to think of Kara, who seemed to have inherited all her mother’s traits. Kara, too, was in love with life, but life didn’t seem to reciprocate, if the losses and tragedies she’d been through were anything to go by. 

“She was, yes,” Alex breathes. “Which makes everything with Astra a lot more complicated than it should be …”

“What do you mean?” Cat frowns, glancing at the older Danvers.

Alex doesn’t reply right away and the look of pure sadness that crosses her eyes makes Cat’s heart clench in her chest. It’s raw and profound, deep. The story it tells is one Cat isn’t sure she wants to know. 

“Astra is Alura’s sister,” Alex explains, slowly. “To be perfectly accurate, it’s her twin sister. They’re perfectly identical. Or … were.” 

“Oh my gosh,” Cat gasps, eyes widening. “That means … The leader of the Inze tribe looks like Kara’s mother …”

“Yeah,” Alex nods. “She’s the spitting image of Alura, it’s … like seeing a ghost.” 

Cat stays quiet for a minute, thinking back on Astra’s face. She remembers the graceful and regal features, the sharpness of her jaw, the delicacy of her eyebrows, the affirmed line of her nose, and the insanely blue of her eyes. Everything had looked so familiar and yet so out of place. Cat now understands why.  
Her heart aches for Kara and the constant heartbreak it must have been to keep seeing her aunt after her parents death. 

“Is that why …” Cat asks, pausing to consider her thoughts. “Is that why Kara didn’t run to her aunt when she went on the run?”

Alex smirks again but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

“My my, you should be working for a newspaper, with how quick you can connect dots that are barely there …” Alex sasses and Cat rolls her eyes but stays silent.

“In part, I suppose. I think Kara also blames Astra for her parents death … Or at least, she did, for a long time.” Alex explains after a beat. “It took finding Lena for Kara to stick around and reluctantly start having some kind of … relationship, if we can call it that, with Astra. Take a right after the twisted tree over there.”

Cat nods and focuses on the road until the carriage has carefully turned around the tree. 

“How could Kara blame her aunt for what happened to her parents?” 

“Astra used to drop by their house a lot, when she was growing up ... She came mostly at night or during some rough winters, when no one else was around. “Alex replies, slightly short of breath. “She was already the leader of the most barbaric Indian tribe in the whole country; she would have been shot on sight … Yet, she still got to be part of Kara’s childhood. Kara told me a lot of stories about her aunt, stories that made it very hard for me to reconcile the woman who told them with the Inze leader. It certainly doesn’t help that she looks exactly like Alura.”

Cat can certainly relate to the confusion.   
The woman she’s just met is very different from the images she had of her, and miles away from the bloody murderer everyone kept describing. Astra Inze’s name evoked war, blood, torture, and a terrifyingly high body count. Not a religious teacher for young indians, not a woman whose gestures were soft and kind, not someone who spoke of her niece as if she was the sun and the moon and the whole canopy of heaven. 

Alex takes another deep breath and continues. 

“Kara believes Astra’s the reason the house got burned down, that someone must have finally spotted her as she came, and they, whoever they were, thought they would do the world a favor by getting rid of the Inze leader.”

Cat considers the explanation for a moment, her eyes spotting a rabbit crossing the path ahead of them. The movement startles one of the horses, but she’s quick to appease them and the carriage continues without a hitch.

“Does that mean the Inze were in the west, back then?” Cat wonders out loud while mentally ticking the years in her head. “As far as I know, they’ve been living around these lands for at least six or seven years.”

“They were but Astra and her tribe left the west not long after Kara’s parents death. I think …” Alex pauses and lets out a heavy sigh. “I think she knew how hard it would have been for Kara, to keep seeing her around.” 

The logical explanation makes Cat nod. As she replays the conversation in her mind, she stops on something Alex mentioned, earlier. 

“You said that it was part of the reason you didn’t go straight to her when you went on the run …” Cat pushes, glancing at Alex. “What are the other reasons?” 

Alex’s laugh is a little hollow and it echoes in the forest, disturbing a flock of birds in the highest trees. The sound of their wings flapping away startles the horses again and the carriage swerves. Cat pulls on the reins and slows down the pace until they calm down.

“Curiosity killed the cat, you know ...” 

“A cat pun, really?” Cat deadpans, throwing an unamused glare at her passenger. 

“Not amused, I see,” Alex chuckles, quietly this time. 

“Anyway …” Alex’s smile disappears. “Kara doesn’t agree with her aunt’s … way of life, let’s put it that way. The Inze are … well, you’ve heard of them, you know the tales and they’re all true. They’re ruthless.”

“So far away from your sister’s personality, indeed …” Cat supplies, thinking about the extremely wide gap that exists between Kara’s caring and loving soul, and the horrible stories about the Inze leader. It was hard to reconcile the Indian people she just saw in the Inze valley with all the horrendous tales going around about them and their leader, Kara’s aunt herself. 

“Exactly. So when we went on the run, Kara refused to have anything to do with her aunt. She decided she’d do better on her own and she did. She’s assembled a family, offering a home to all the women we met along the way … and Winn, too.”

Cat smiles at the mention of the young man.

“How did you meet Winslow? He seems to be the only man in your little group, I’m curious about his story …” 

“I think it’s something you’ll have to ask him, it’s not my story to tell,” Alex shakes her head, a warm smile floating on her lips. 

Cat’s smile turns into a smirk and she throws a mischievous look at the older Danvers, who narrows her eyes at her.

“What?” Alex asks, looking a little uncomfortable.

“Let’s talk about the history you have with Astra then,” Cat states, eyes intent on the gunslinger. “I’m guessing that’s your story to tell …”

Alex lets out a groan that barely hides the insult interjected in it, but Cat doesn’t bat an eye, still expectantly looking at the older Danvers.

“I should have known you would go right for it,” Alex mutters under her breath.

“Did something ever happen, between you two?” Cat asks, chuckling when she realises it sounds strangely close to Alex’s earlier question about Lois and herself. 

“What’s so funny?” Alex frowns, clearly not seeing the irony of the question.

“You asked the same thing about Lois and I, on the way in. It’s only fair I ask about you and Astra, as we go back …” Cat smirks before shaking her head and focusing. “Seriously though, what happened? She acts as if you two have some kind of …”

Alex groans, interrupting Cat’s sentence.

“Please don’t say intimacy. It’s …” Alex pauses, seemingly looking for her words. “It’s complicated.”

“Understatement of the century, yes,” Cat deadpans. “You’re Kara’s sister, she’s Kara’s aunt … complicated sounds about right.” 

“Fuck off,” Alex mutters but without really meaning it so Cat shrugs. “Kara might not have wanted any kind of relationship with Astra for a long time, but that doesn’t mean Astra didn’t care. She’s … kept in touch with me, through the years.” 

Cat thinks it only makes sense, given how tenderly Astra had spoken about her niece. Cat had picked up on it without needing any translating, the tone alone had been soft, tender, and full of yearning.

“Is that how you learned to speak Inze?” Cat asks, momentarily getting distracted.

“Uh, no. It was Alura who taught us,” Alex shakes her head. “She used to say that while she didn’t belong to the Inze tribe anymore, it was still part of her story and that it should be part of Kara’s as well. Since Kara and I were inseparable, I learned it too.” 

“Which helped you communicate with Astra through the years …” Cat supplies, bringing them back to the topic at hand. “So tell me, why was she acting so soft and protective with you, back then? Checking on your wound, refusing to let you fight, letting you invade her space without so much as a frown …”

“That falls under the ‘complicated’ banner,” Alex states through her gritted teeth. 

“What does …” Cat pauses and tries to remember the pronunciation. “Fazhur chahv, means?”

Alex looks thrown at the sudden Inze words before a slight blush taints her cheeks. 

“Urgh, you’re annoying,” Alex grumbles, avoiding looking into Cat’s eyes and focusing on the road instead. Cat smirks but doesn’t say anything, patiently waiting for the older Danvers to answer her question. 

“It means …” Alex frowns and bites her lower lip. “Well, the literal translation would be ‘battle one,’ but I believe it’s her way to say ‘brave one’.” 

Cat nods, remembering the respect and the slight affection she heard in Astra’s voice when she greeted Alex.

“And … what did you call her?” Cat pushes.

“Kur jregr,” Alex instantly replies, the words flowing easily from her lips. “It doesn’t translate well in English. Jregr is a word that means leader, but not a crowned one, more like … leader of the people. Kur is a color we don’t have in English. I guess it could be replaced by bluest but it feels a bit flat.” 

“Bluest leader, then,” Cat says, assembling the translated words. “Does Kara know? About … this complicated situation you have with her aunt?” 

Alex’s silence takes Cat by surprise, and when she glances at the older Danvers, the look on her face is broken and resigned at once. It speaks volumes about the impossible dilemma of Alex’s heart, torn apart between her unconditional love for her sister and whatever feelings she has for the leader of the Inze.

“I see,” Cat murmurs, softly. “I’m sorry.”

Alex shrugs but doesn’t reply.   
She closes her eyes and Cat takes it as a sign the conversation is over. With a quiet sigh, she averts her gaze and focuses on guiding the carriage back to the ranch.

\---

Cat jolts awake in a hiss of pain, already reaching up to touch her stinging cheek. 

“Ah, shit,” Lois groans, rolling over the other side of the bed. “Sorry, did I hurt you?”

“You think?” Cat snaps, throwing an annoyed glare at her best friend.

“Hey, quit it,” Lois growls, rubbing a hand over her bleary eyes. “It is not my fault the house is crowded with a gang of outlaws and we now have to share a bed.” 

“I had forgotten how restless you could be in your sleep!” Cat winces, leaving the bed to go check her face in a mirror. “I am this close to making Eve and Nia sleep in the barn just so that you can go back to your bed. Or better yet, why don’t you go sleep out there?” 

“Urgh, I forgot how much of a total asshole you are in the morning,” Lois grumbles, leaving the bed and starting to get dressed. “I’m going to go now, make some coffee.”

She stumbles on Winn on her way out, and Cat hears the very loud curse that escapes her best-friend’s lips.

Cat sighs and shakes her head, trying to clear her mind from the fog of sleep still clouding it.

It’s been a week since the whole gang, minus Kara, crashed in the house, and the atmosphere was extremely tense. Everyone was on edge and waiting for something, anything, to happen. Cat felt herself drown in her anxiety at times, only brought back from the darkness by the sparkle of hope always gleaming in Carter’s eyes.

She takes a deep breath and starts readying herself for the day.

When she enters her kitchen, about twenty minutes later, she finds most of the gang members gathered around the too small table. 

“Good morning, Miss Grant,” Eve greets her with a shy smile, nudging Winn aside to make room for her. “Have a seat, breakfast is ready.”

Cat does as she’s being told without protesting, comforted by the easy domesticity of the scene, and the warm coffee smell hanging around in the air. Winn wordlessly passes her a slice of bread and she smiles to thank him before Nia comes to drop a portion of scrambled eggs on the side of her plate.

“Thank you, you didn’t have to …”

She’s interrupted by the cup of coffee Lois places in front of her.

“Shut up and drink,” Lois groans, already walking away to pour Andrea some coffee. 

“Is she okay?” Carter asks, looking confused and slightly worried.

“She’s in a mood,” Cat dismisses, after having drunk half of her cup. She looks around the table and then frowns. “Is Lena alright?”

“She’s fine,” Lucy chimes in from the doorframe, looking a bit out of breath. “She’s outside with Alex and the horses. I’m staying with them, I just came in for a cup of coffee …”

Lois quickly fills two mugs with the piping hot beverage and hands them to her sister, who says thank you before going back outside.

“Sorry about the invasion,” Andrea eventually says, breaking the slightly uncomfortable silence that followed Lucy’s exit. “It must feel overwhelming.”

Cat looks up from her plate, surprised to hear the woman talk. She’s been mostly quiet since she arrived, and Cat notices she rolls the ‘r’ and strangely articulates some vowels. 

“It’s … a little more crowded than I’m used to,” Cat nods, not denying it. “But don’t worry, I’m adapting. We all are.”

Andrea nods but doesn’t look away.   
Once again, Cat is struck by the strange color of her eyes; not quite blue but not green either, with just a hint of grey. She’s still recovering from her encounter with the bounty-hunters, faded bruises and healing scratches showing in various places around her features and Cat’s eyes stop on an older scar in between her eyebrows, right above the bridge of her nose.

It reminds her of Kara’s little scar above her eyebrow.   
An image of Kara’s smiling face and sparkling blue eyes, from the only night they got to spend together, flashes in front of her eyes, and triggers a wave of unbearable sadness.

She’d never imagined, not in a thousand lives, she’d miss Kara so much.   
They didn’t spend much time together, yet the intensity of her feelings for the gunslinger are so strong it makes her whole body ache, painfully. It’s a wild fire consuming her from the inside, but adding to the uncertainty of the situation - the doubts and the guilt eating her alive, it is devastating.

Every time she’s faced with memories of the gunslinger, it only deepens the pernicious feeling she’ll never get to see her again. It’s a dangerous train of thought, one that twists her guts and makes her heart stop, but she can’t help herself. It’s been seven days since Kara was taken by Maxwell and they haven’t heard back from the Inze. 

Hope was wearing thin, a flickering candle flame lost in a storm.

“Miss Grant?” Andrea calls, looking worried.

Cat blinks, having forgotten about the gang around her. She’d been lost in her dark thoughts, and judging by the looks she gets, it’s not the first time Andrea’s tried to get her attention.

“Sorry, you were saying?” Cat tilts her head, reaching for her cup of coffee. It’s empty, but before she can ask, Lois swings by behind her and fills it, without a word.

“I was simply asking if you needed help this morning with the chores,” Andrea asks, a shy smile slowly gracing her lips. 

“Oh no, you’re still recovering,” Cat shakes her head, trying to anchor herself in the present. “I didn’t patch you up for you to rip it all apart while doing laundry.” 

“I can’t stay on the couch all day,” Andrea frowns, looking a little upset. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“You’ll come with me,” Lois states, before Cat can say anything. “We’re going to go fix the fence at the far south of the ranch. I need someone to hold the beams while I nail them into place, you’ll do.”

“Thank you,” Andrea says, smiling brightly. 

“If you’re done with breakfast, we’re going,” Lois gruffs, forcefully placing the coffee pot on the table before exiting the room.

“She’s in a mood alright,” Carter grumbles, still looking where Lois disappeared. “Did you do something, Mom?”

“Why do you assume it’s my fault?” Cat glares at her son while Andrea scrambles up to follow after Lois. 

Carter shrugs but under his mother’s unrelenting stare, he raises his hands and drops the topic entirely.

“I’m going to go help Alex, Lena and Lucy with the horses,” Carter says, standing up. He brings his empty plate to the sink and starts doing the dishes, but Nia shoos him away with a towel. “See you later mom.”

Cat nods but doesn’t reply.

“Miss Grant, I noticed your rooftop needs some work,” Winn says, catching her eyes. “If you allow me, I’d be happy to do the repairs!”

“Uh, sure,” Cat accepts, a little thrown off by the eagerness in the man’s voice. “The tools are in the barn, ask Carter for them. There’s a ladder on the side of the house, too.”

Winn’s out of the kitchen before she can finish her sentence. 

“We never get to …” Eve pauses, seemingly looking for her words. She’s wearing one of Cat’s old aprons, and with her hair tied in a high ponytail, it changes her whole look. “Let’s put it this way, we never really had a house, so we’re all eager to participate. It’s another kind of domesticity, one we never had.” 

Suddenly, Cat gets it. 

She now understands why Nia and Eve seem so happy and at ease in the kitchen. She thinks back on Winn’s smile when she accepted his help with the rooftop, on Andrea’s bright smile when Lois offered something for her to do and it all makes sense. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize …” Cat stops, wondering what to say. 

Those are random little things she’s taken for granted, trivial tasks she’s used to doing every week. She’d never thought anyone would be happy, much less so impatient, to do repairs on a roof, to fix a fence, to cook, do the dishes, or to do laundry. Now that Eve explained it, she can see how those chores would be appealing to an on-the-run gang.

“There’s laundry to do, then,” Cat smiles, standing up. “Then we’ll work on the sleeping arrangement, to organize the house so that everyone can get some much needed rest. Don’t worry, there’s plenty to do around here, I could sure use all the help I can get.”

She’s rewarded by Eve and Nia’s bright smiles and for a moment, just for a moment, it’s enough to make her forget about everything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there!
> 
> We're getting dangerously close to where I stopped writing for this fic, and now I gotta get back on tracks FAST!
> 
> In any case, enjoy a little peace and quiet from our favorite people, despite the anxiety floating around. More to come, of course, but I hope you'll enjoy the hints of General Danvers and some background story for the Danvers sisters. Also, I have to say, I am really enjoying writing for the strange dynamic I've set for Cat and Alex! 
> 
> Hang in there people, I know it's a stressful time for a lot of us so really, take care.
> 
> _As always, reviews are nice_


	13. CHAPTER 13

“They’re a good bunch,” Lois says after a sip of coffee. “I kind of like them.”

“My my, a declaration of love,” Cat sasses with a chuckle.

Lunch had been a lively affair, despite the heavy tension in the air, and Cat just joined Lois on the porch to share a cup of coffee while Andrea, Eve, and Nia were cleaning the kitchen.

“Shut up,” Lois mumbles, throwing a glare at her friend before focusing on the landscape ahead.

It earns her a laugh from both Cat and Alex, who took a seat on the steps of the porch to keep an eye on Lena. She’s holding a small piece of wood in one hand and a knife in the other, slowly and carefully carving what looks like the beginning of a very detailed wolf sculpture. 

From time to time, she glances up to check on the people in the riding ring, next to the stables.

In the middle of the ring, Carter and Winn are watching, and sometimes guiding the horse Lena is riding. The animal is rather tall and strong, as black as Lena’s hair used to be, and slowly galloping along the fence of the ring. The rhythm is constant and soothing, Cat thinks.

“Is she alright?” Cat asks Alex, leaning forward to look past Lois.

“Better,” Alex laconically answers. “She’s doing … better.”

Lena looks focused on her posture, eyes lost in the distance, but with her back straight and her heels down. She’s riding bareback and not holding onto anything, hands resting on her thighs as she moves in harmony with the horse.   
Her hair flows around her head, long strands of grey standing out in the remnants of her original raven-dark color, but the shadow of a smile is tugging at the corner of her lips and it’s the most expressive she’s been since the gang arrived. 

“Is she ever going to …” Lois stops, looking a little unsure.

“I don’t think so,” Alex shakes her head. “She’s probably never going to heal. The best we can hope for is for her to have more good days than bad, until ...” 

The older Danvers doesn’t finish her sentence but Cat understands all the same. Death would be a form of mercy for Lena, a way for her broken soul to finally rest. 

“How long are we supposed to wait?” Lois eventually asks, changing the subject.

“I don’t know,” Alex sighs, sounding frustrated. “Maxwell Lord is not to be underestimated. It means the Inze will have to find the bounty-hunters, hatch some kind of plan, and execute it, before they can bring Kara to us. That is, if everything goes well ...”

“Can I ask you something?” Lois says after a pause, looking straight into Alex's eyes.

“Since when do you ever ask permission to do anything?” Alex smirks, arching a sarcastic brow. “Anyway, you can always try.”

Cat chuckles next to her friend, but doesn’t say anything.

“Why is Maxwell Lord after Kara?” Lois questions, making the coffee swirl in her cup as she speaks. “I mean, he’s been after her for years, he destroyed everything, and everyone standing in his way to get to her so this is obviously not about the money …”

Cat has to admit it’s a good question, one she’s wondered about more than once. She remembers the bad feeling she instantly got when she first met him, moments after Kara hid in her wagon. Even back then he didn’t seem too interested in the money, which she thought was strange for a bounty-hunter.   
Now she knows it’s nothing but an obsession. What she doesn’t understand is why. 

Alex doesn’t say anything at first.   
Her nutmeg eyes, warm from the afternoon sunlight, seem far away, almost absent. 

“I don’t know,” Alex sighs, blinking herself back to the present. “No one does. No one but him, I mean. Kara thinks it has something to do with her parents' past, but we don’t know for sure.”

“When did you first meet him?” Lois insists, turning to face the older Danvers. “I mean, he kept saying he’s been after her for a long, long time …”

“We’d actually never met him, not until a few days ago when he ambushed us,” Alex frowns, obviously trying to remember. “The first time we heard of him was about a year after we’d left home. Back then, he was just one bounty-hunter amongst the few already on our tail, so we didn’t pay him much attention. It took him destroying the Olsen manor, and almost killing Luce for us to realise he was a real, very serious threat.”

“You weren’t there when everything went down with Lucy, right?” Lois muses. “Kara told us the story and she never mentioned you …”

“Ah, no,” Alex sighs, sadness clouding her eyes. “It happened around the time we heard about my father’s death and I … I went back to Midvale, to see my mom. Since I wasn’t a most-wanted person back then, I was free to come and go, even though everyone in Midvale knew all about my departure. Kara said it was too dangerous, and she refused to come, so I went alone. When I came back, a couple months later, I found Kara with the woman who became the first official member of our gang, Lucy freaking Lane.” 

“I love you too,” Lucy chimes in from the doorframe, an amused smirk on her lips. 

“Asshole,” Alex mutters, having startled at the unexpected voice. 

“Sounds about right,” Lois nods, earning a flippant gesture from her sister, and a chuckle from Cat and Alex.

“So Lucy was the first member, who came next?” Lois asks, eyes traveling back and forth between her sister and the older Danvers.

“Eve,” Alex replies. “Kara sure knows how to find them - all the strays of the world. Eve was trapped in an abusive marriage, Kara freed her, and offered for her to join us. I wasn’t exactly happy, you know. We were on the run, Kara’s face already plastered on a bunch of posters, with both the law and the bounty-hunters after us, not to mention Maxwell Lord…” 

“I’m surprised you went along with it, yes,” Lois nods. “But I guess I should thank you, for saving Lucy’s life and taking her in.”

“Eh, she’s kind of alright,” Alex shrugs, laughing when Lucy steps forward to lightly slap her on the back of the head. “Ow!”

“I barely touched you,” Lucy rolls her eyes and sits down next to Alex. 

“Anyway, Susan came along next. Like I told Cat, I was hunting on her land and she didn’t take it too well, almost shooting me in the ass in retaliation …” Alex’s voice becomes heavier as she talks, and Lucy gently rests a hand on her shoulder. “We helped her with an Indian problem she had, and she let us stay on her land for a while. After we left, she got a visit from Maxwell Lord and a few weeks later, she found us again and joined our gang. She never really told us anything, but when we traveled back across her land one day, we saw it was all burnt down.” 

“His signature move,” Cat sasses, feeling a surge of hate toward the man who destroyed so many lives.

“Yeah,” Alex nods. “Susan found Nia a few months later, in a dive town up north. She’s been ostracized for reasons I cannot share, so if you want to know more you’ll have to ask her, but Susan took her under her wing and offered for her to join us. Kara had brought in Winn around that time, and that’s about the moment I gave up on telling them we couldn’t take any more people in. Siobhan and Leslie joined next, together. Leslie owned a saloon in a dive town near the coast and Siobhan was the …”

Alex pauses, eyes wandering from Lois to Cat before she lets out a deep sigh. 

“Siobhan was a prostitute in Leslie’s saloon,” Alex says, leaning against Lucy’s side when the younger Lane squeezes her shoulder. “Like pretty much everywhere else, Kara stepped into a tricky situation and helped Siobhan get rid of a very violent … client. To thank her, Leslie told Kara she was always welcome in her saloon, but of course, word spread, and a few weeks later Maxwell Lord arrived in town. He left Leslie for dead inside the saloon and set fire to it, like he always does. Winn and Eve traveled back to the town as soon as we heard, and they found Siobhan and Leslie in an abandoned cabin on the outskirts of town. Siobhan had saved Leslie from the fire and was trying to take care of her as best as she could. Winn and Eve offered for them to join the gang and they didn’t hesitate.”

“Now, Leslie was a total bitch, but she sure knew how to get booze!” Lucy chuckles lightly, despite the sadness in her eyes. “I miss her.” 

“How did they …” Lois tries, stopping when Cat places a hand on her forearm.

“Susan, Leslie and Siobhan were killed by Maxwell’s men in the assault,” Alex murmurs, gently shaking her head at Lucy when she tries to hug her. “Susan took six bullets in the chest trying to protect Nia, and Leslie went batshit crazy when Siobhan died right in front of her. She charged forward and Maxwell Lord coldly waited until the very last moment to lodge a bullet in her head. Just as well though, she wouldn’t have survived without Siobhan.” 

Cat doesn’t miss the tragic love story caught in Alex’ last few words.   
Her heart aches for the two women she didn’t get a chance to know, for their cursed fate and their heartbreaking end. 

She slowly finishes her coffee before focusing her attention back to the riding ring. 

“Lois, look.”

At some point during the discussion, Carter had replaced Lena on the black horse.   
His posture could use some work, and he still looks a little unstable, but the smile on his face is full of unadulterated joy. In the middle of the ring, Lena and Winn are cheering him on, both of them smiling too.

“It’s been … a long time, since Lena last smiled,” Alex breathes, sounding surprised. 

“Maybe there’s hope yet,” Cat murmurs, turning her head to meet the older Danvers’ eyes.

They both know it’s just an illusion, but for a moment, just a moment, they allow themselves to believe.

\---

“What about you, Winn?” Carter asks around a mouthful of food.

“Carter!” Cat scowls, smacking him on the forearm. 

Carter audibly and visibly swallows before asking the question again, turning his eyes to the only man in the room. 

“What about me?” Winn blinks, looking a little confused. 

“How did you join the gang?” Carter says, grabbing a slice of bread from the basket Nia is presenting him. “I mean, as far as I can tell, you’re the only man in a supposedly all women gang …”

A wave of laughter shakes the assembly, and even Winn smiles, seemingly amused. 

“Well, it’s kind of a funny story actually,” Winn retorts after a beat.

“Yeah, it is,” Alex laughs, lightly punching him in the shoulder. “Go on, tell us all about it.”

“You have to promise you won’t interrupt,” Winn glares at her.

“I make no such promise,” Alex shrugs, winking at Carter before focusing back on her food. 

Lois hands over a bottle of whiskey to Andrea before offering some bread to her sister. Cat helps herself to another slice of venaison and puts another one onto Eve’s plate, despite the woman’s protests. Next to Nia, Lena is slowly eating a bowl of soup, quiet but watchful. 

Eventually, silence falls around the table, and all eyes converge on Winn. 

“Alright,” the young man sighs. “It’s going to sound very bad, but I promise it’s not.”

Cat arches a brow at that, wondering how someone as sweet and kind as Winslow could ever do something bad. Then again, theirs is a very hostile world.

“You’re enjoying this way too much,” Winn mutters to Alex, who’s smirking next to him.

“I am,” Alex doesn’t deny it.

“Fine,” Winn gulps a good half of his whiskey and looks around the table. 

His eyes are dark and he is grinding his teeth, his jaw working in the relative light of the room. Whatever he is about to say, he clearly feels anxious about the reaction. Eventually, he takes a deep breath and squares his shoulders, almost as if going to battle.

“I used to be a bounty-hunter in Maxwell Lord’s gang.”

“You what?”

“What the fuck?”

“Son of a ...”

Carter, Cat and Lois all react at the same time.   
It would be funny, should the circumstances be different. Today however, after everything they’ve been through in the past few days, weeks, months even, it just sounds like a terribly bad joke, one that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. It’s so vivid Cat feels the need to swallow, and she wonders if she’s imagining the acrid taste on her tongue. 

“Easy,” Alex raises a hand in a calming gesture. “It was years ago and he came to his senses, obviously.”

“I did!” Winn nods, looking a little startled by the reactions. “I’ve been part of the Kryptonite gang for some time now and I promise, I don’t have any ties to the man anymore.”

“How did you even join him in the first place?” Cat asks, still shocked and slightly angered by the revelation.

“I needed some money,” Winn starts to explain. “I was in a really bad place, my dad was in jail, I’d lost my job in a train station and some of my dad’s bookers were threatening to hurt me if I didn’t pay them … So I walked into a sheriff’s office to ask if I could become a bounty-hunter and one of Maxwell’s men was there already. He brought me to his leader, and that’s how I met Lord Douche.” 

“I was about nineteen years old and he was … charming, suave even,” Winn sighs, looking and sounding guilty. “He wanted to know why I wished to become a bounty-hunter so I explained my predicament to him. Against all odds, he gave me the money to pay off my father’s bookers. In exchange, I was to help him catch one of the most-wanted gunslingers in the lands, Kara Zorel.” 

He pauses, takes another sip of whiskey and shakes his head. 

“I didn’t … I didn’t see it, at first. He was … incredibly charismatic, he had a way of explaining everything in ways that always made sense. He told us that Kara Zorel was extremely dangerous and needed to be stopped, but it was more than just that,” Winn says, pouring himself another drink. “He made us believe there would be glory in the act of capturing her alive and bringing her to justice. Now, I was young and naive, so of course I believed him; but there were older men in the group, ruthless, terrible men who’d already done bad things, and yet they too followed him like he was ... god.” 

Everyone in the room stays quiet as Winn tells his story.   
Lois’ anger has faded away, replaced by something akin to curiosity, and even Carter, who’d looked disappointed at the beginning, is now hanging upon every word. 

“I would have followed him to the end of the world, back then. Like I said, he had, has I suppose, a way with words that can scramble your brain and destroy everything you believe in. He was our leader, and in some way, we’d sworn loyalty to him,” Winn chuckles, humorlessly. “He didn’t need any official oath, he just knew we were all devoted to him.”

“What made you change your mind about him then?” Carter asks, absentmindedly leaning into Lois' side.

Winn smiles and whatever memory he is thinking about, it makes his eyes sparkle and shine in the dim light of the room. 

“Well, I met Kara.”

“How did you ...” 

“I managed to catch her once,” Winn replies, cutting Lois off before she could finish her question. “She was having horse trouble in the middle of a river … I couldn’t believe my luck, so of course I went and held her at gunpoint.”

“She gets that a lot,” Alex sasses, throwing an amused glance at Cat across the table.

“She sure does,” Cat empathizes, trying not to dwell on how much she’d love to hold Kara at gunpoint right now, just so she could see her again. 

She misses Kara to the point it physically hurts whenever her name is mentioned. Her worries are eating her alive, along with her guilt. She can still hear the faint echo of their last words, the anger and resentment in both their voices, before the final resignation in Kara’s. She’d do anything to go back in time and fix things between them.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Winn shrugs, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, here I was, my rifle pointed at her head and she only asked for a moment to help her horse, who’d gotten a hoof trapped between two rocks. I’m not a monster, so I said yes. She never tried anything, just freed her horse before leading it to the other side of the river, with her hands where I could see them. She was … so human.”

Winn pauses, looking a little lost for a second. A gentle punch on the shoulder from Alex gets him talking again.

“I mean, you have to understand. I’d been with Maxwell Lord for over a year already, and he described her as some kind of mad woman, crazy dangerous, and with a soul so twisted not even God could save her anymore,” Winn explains, his voice heavy and grave. “She wasn’t like that, at all. The woman I had in front of me that day was just worried about her horse, gentle, kind and fair. She never tried to run, never tried to hurt me, she was ready to follow me back to my leader. It … startled me.”

Cat realises everyone is surprised when they first meet Kara. It’s as common as pointing some kind of weapon at her. She remembers her own surprise, back when she didn’t even know who Kara was, at the simple kindness she’d shown by going after the runaway horse and bringing it back.

“I let my guard down, taken aback by how nice and sweet she was ... miles away from the picture Maxwell Lord had painted, and so very far from the idea I had of her. Of course, that’s when Alex snuck up behind me and knocked me out with the back of her gun.”

That gets some chuckles from the people around the table, and this time Winn is the one to lightly punch the older Danvers in the arm.

“After that, I started noticing how Maxwell Lord’s stories never quite added up. After what happened at the Olsen manor, I just …” Winn takes a breath and looks over at Lucy. 

The look they exchange is heavy with emotions, and Cat wonders how the cohabitation went, after Winn joined the gang. It couldn’t have been easy; judging by Lucy’s pursed lips, and the guilt in the man’s voice. Yet, Lucy reaches a hand out and gently rests it atop Winn’s, nodding to encourage him to go on.

“I realized I was actually following the mad man, not chasing after him. I ran away, knowing he’d never willingly let me go …” 

Lois stands up and goes to find another bottle of whiskey before pouring drinks to the people around the table. Cat shakes her head no when her friend offers to refill her glass, but Alex, Winn, Lucy, and Andrea don’t hesitate.

“Almost eight or nine months after I’d ran away, I got in trouble with a bunch of bandits. I didn’t know it, but I’d been staying on their so-called lands for far too long, and they were extremely unhappy about all the food I unknowingly stole from them …” Winn pauses just long enough to gulp down his drink. “I thought I was going to die, that my last hour on earth had finally come.”

“The next thing I know, Kara was standing in front of me, facing the bandits and intimidating them. She had a gun in each hand, told them they were surrounded and she was obviously bluffing, but they recognized her from all the most-wanted posters. They left as fast as they could,” Winn says, softly. His eyes sparkle with sadness and longing. “She saved my life that day, and I’ve been with her ever since.”

Carter is the first to react once Winn finishes his story.

“I can’t believe you used to be part of Lord Douche’s gang.”

“Eh, I was young and stupid back then,” Winn laughs.

“Now you’re just stupid,” Eve points out, making everyone else in the room burst with laughter.

“Rude,” Winn mumbles but he winks at Carter and offers a sheepish smile to Cat, who can’t help but smile at him in return. She’s always had a kind of soft spot for him, since the moment they first met. “Now, I need more alcohol!”

Lois rolls her eyes at the raised glass, but when she finally pours him some whiskey, the look in her irises is soft and kind.

\---

Horse’s hooves and shouts wake Cat up in a panic. 

The distant glow of torch light slowly starts to appear on her ceiling, dancing and flickering as the noise grows louder. 

“Lois, wake up!” Cat jumps out of her bed and into her jeans. “We got visitors!”

“Humpf,” Lois groans, her hangover audible in the grunt. “What the fuck?”

“Get up!” Cat raises her voice and shakes her friend, before grabbing her Colt and moving to exit the room. 

Downstairs, she’s met with Alex and Winn in the living room, their hands clutching their rifles. Alex is looking through the window while Winn surveys the front door, and as the shouts become louder, Lucy, Eve, and Andrea join them.

“The Inze,” Alex mutters, voice clipped and tense. 

“Nia’s with Lena and Carter,” Lois whispers when she finally climbs down the stairs, the long shirt of her pyjamas falling over the jeans she’d precipitately put on. “They’re in Carter’s room, locked inside.” 

“What’s happening?” Cat asks, turning to Alex for answers.

“I don’t know,” Alex replies, sounding frustrated, worried, and angry at the same time. “There’s at least a good two dozen riders out there, they’re getting closer. It’s not like Astra to be so ostentatious, she’s usually discreet …”

“Astra’s with them?” Cat breathes out, wondering if that means they’re bringing Kara to them. “Could they have … found her, already?”

Alex stays silent, her jaw working in the growing lights from the torches outside.   
She looks unsure and almost lost, something Cat’s never seen on the older Danvers face before. She’s always been so sure, so forward, stubbornly so even. The difference is jarring, and it does nothing to help Cat’s rising anxiety. 

“Alexandra Danvers!”

The sharp shout, loud and quick, takes everyone by surprise.   
Eve and Andrea startle, Winn arches a stunned brow, and Lois lets out a quiet ‘what the fuck?’ Cat can certainly relate to. 

“It’s Astra’s voice,” Alex says, eyes wide with shock. “She never calls me by my full name …”

“Now would be a good time to get out and see what it is she wants,” Lucy chimes in, moving to take over for Alex near the window. “Go on, she’s calling for you, and it sounds serious …”

Alex nods and instinctively walks to the door.   
Cat immediately falls in step with her and they slowly exit the house, hands tightly closed around their weapons.

The sight that greets them is a nightmare.

The Inze are spread in a semicircle, still on their horses, and aside from the occasional neighing or pawing from the animals, the air is now quiet and filled with dread. Most of them are holding torches, it adds a strange and bright halo to the pale moonlight sneaking through the clouds. 

In the middle of the incongruous formation, Astra Inze is standing on the ground.   
A moonbeam reflects in her silver streak while the torches throw orange shades on the rest of her hair. Her face is darkened by the lights at her back but as a cloud moves in the sky, a new moonbeam hits her face and Cat’s heart drops in her chest. The terror painted on Astra’s features is feral and desperate, heart-wrenching.

She’s holding a body in her arms.

The torches flicker in the breeze and reveal a hint of golden in the filthy hair that falls from the side of Astra’s arms. 

“Kara!” Alex screams, dropping her weapon to the ground as she starts running. Cat is too paralyzed to follow so she watches, helpless, as Alex stops in front of Astra and shakily reaches to touch Kara’s cheek.

Another gust of wind clears the sky and the sudden moonlight explodes in the night, revealing everything that had been hidden until then.

Kara’s face, covered in blood, shines under the new light, and at the other end of her lifeless body, one of her feet, oddly bare, stands out when it catches a moonbeam. She doesn’t move when Alex leans over and whispers soft, sweet and desperate words to her. 

Astra starts talking in Inze but Alex doesn’t listen.   
Cat holds her breath when the leader of the Inze moves forward, sandwiching Kara’s body between them, and finally catches the older Danvers attention. Whatever Astra says next has Alex springing into action.

“Cat!” Alex shouts, the sound startling Cat and making her jump. “Astra is bringing Kara in, we need to fix her.”

Cat doesn’t waste a minute and goes back inside the house.

“Lois, we’re going to need a lot of alcohol,” Cat orders, starting to boss everyone around. She’s terrified she won’t be able to save Kara, but she can’t give in to her fears so she uses them to fuel her. “Lucy, ready the couch. Winn, I need you to bring me all the gauze, towels, and dry cloths you can find. Ask Carter for help, he knows where everything is.”

“Is it … safe for Carter to come out?” Winn asks, already on the first steps of the stairs.

“It’s fine,” Cat snaps and Winn disappears upstairs within seconds. “Eve, I need you to boil water. I don’t know the extent of Kara’s injury but just in case …”

“I’m on it,” Eve replies, already walking to the kitchen.

“Andrea, I need you to light up every candle and lamp in the room,” Cat orders, holding the door wide open for Astra to enter. “Lucy, start a fire.” 

Astra steps into the house, carefully manipulating Kara’s body to fit in the doorframe, with Alex hot on their heels.

Cat tries to ignore the nervous feeling that settles in her stomach at the thought of having the leader of the Inze in her home and directs the woman to the living room.

“Where do you want her?” Alex asks, breathless, as she follows after Astra. 

In the bright light of the living room, Kara’s body looks even more terrifying. 

Her face and most of her hair are covered in thick, gleaming blood, it drips from the back of her head as Astra stops in the middle of the living room. Her limbs are lifelessly falling limp, and one of her arms shows burn marks, as well as a bunch of deep scratches. Her shirt, sticky with blood and sweat, is ripped on the right side to reveal what looks like a gunshot. One of her legs, the one with the bare foot, is bent at an awkward angle, and Cat’s expert eye notices the protuberance around the knee, a tell-tale sign of a broken bone.

“Lay her down on the couch, very gently. I think her left leg is broken, we need to be careful not to cause any more damage,” Cat explains, moving to help.

Alex translates in Inze and Astra then nods, instantly stepping closer to the couch.   
Her movements are infinitely gentle and tender when she delicately lowers Kara’s broken body to the cushions. Once Kara’s legs and back are settled down, Astra reaches with her free hand to catch Kara’s head, and very carefully places it atop a pillow Lucy slipped underneath. 

Once she’s certain Kara’s safe, she takes a step back but stays close to the couch.

She stands out in the domestic setting of a house, with her electric blue pagne stopping above her knees and the elaborated crop top covering her breasts but not much else. Her skin shines in the well-lit place, and Cat spots some traces of blood on her arms, a deep gash on her hip and more wounds on her bare abs. They glow in the bright light, and the crimson color of her wounds are a stark contrast against the blue war paint spread on her skin. 

Astra suddenly startles and raises her axe up when Carter comes barreling into the room, a bunch of towels and his mother’s trusted medical kit in his arms.

Carter swallows audibly and drops everything to raise his hands before Alex shouts in Inze.

After a second, Astra lowers her weapon and hands it over to Alex, looking a little sheepish. She turns back to Carter and slowly raises her left hand to place it upon her heart, bowing her head a little.

“It’s her way of saying sorry,” Alex explains when Carter blinks in confusion. “She’s not used to … people.”

“Oh uh,” Carter looks back at Astra and offers her a shy smile. “Thank you.” 

He picks up the towels and his mother’s kit before coming closer to the couch to hand everything over.

“Oh shit,” Carter swears when his eyes land on Kara. 

Cat doesn’t even think of scolding him, because it perfectly sums up the situation.   
Kara’s barely breathing, if the slight wheeze that irregularly escapes her lips is anything to go by, and Cat is not entirely sure she can save her.   
The thought alone is terrifying. Cat can feel her heart race again in her chest, cold sweat forming at the base of her neck and rolling down along her spine. Her hands start shaking, imperceptibly. 

“Where do we start?” Alex asks, looking up into Cat’s eyes with all the faith in the world. “I’ll help. My parents were doctors, I’ve picked up a thing or two, and besides, I had to patch her up more than once over the years. It’s not our first rodeo.” 

Alex’s bluntness actually does help a little, and Cat finds herself holding back a smile. It’s half-nervous and half-sarcastic, but it’s there, and it’s enough to keep her going. 

She has to save Kara, because the alternative is unimaginable. 

The idea that Kara could die here and now, when their last talk was nothing but harsh words, is unthinkable. Kara has to live, so that they can talk and work on fixing things. So that Cat could wake up every morning knowing she’d see Kara’s baby blue eyes again, and that blinding smile that shows dimples on her cheeks. So that Cat could go to sleep every night with more memories of Kara’s kisses, Kara’s hands on her skin, and the certainty that they’d have time to make more memories. Without Kara … Cat can’t even finish the thought..

Cat takes a deep breath and steadies her hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo ...
> 
> How is everybody doing?
> 
> _Hello folks,_
> 
> I'm back with an update, and what an update am I right? A lot is happening, lot of feelings to process, and a cliffhanger to boot! 
> 
> I hope you like this story, and that this chapter doesn't disappoint. I'm going to try my best to keep uploading as regularly as I have until now, but I admit I'm getting rather behind on the writing. I also have to focus on a secret Santa Supercat prompt so this is gonna be tricky. 
> 
> Feel free to find me on Tumblr or Twitter, if you want to chat!
> 
> _As always, reviews are nice_


	14. CHAPTER 14

Dawn slowly rises behind the mountains, shades of pink and orange chasing away the depth of the night. The moon stubbornly hangs on one side of the sky while the sun hints on the other- shy, but getting increasingly bolder as the stars fade away.

Carter rubs a hand on his face, letting out a slow breath in the cold, crisp air of the first hours of the day. Absentmindedly, he notices the Inze are all gone.

“You okay, kid?” Lois asks, coming to stand next to him. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Carter shrugs, hiding a yawn behind his hand. “I just needed some air, the living room is crowded and it smells like …”

“Death,” Lois supplies, bluntly. She reaches out and squeezes his shoulder. “It’s alright, don’t worry. I couldn’t stand it either.” 

“Think she’ll be okay?” Carter asks after a pause, watching a lone bird cross the pink area of the sky. “It looks … really bad.”

“I dunno, kid,” Lois sighs, a cloud of thick condensation escaping her lips. “Your mother and Alex are still working on saving her life, but …”

“Yeah,” Carter sighs too, relating to the hopelessness in Lois’ voice. 

Kara had woken up twice during the night, screaming in pain, before passing out again.   
The first time when Cat had to remove the bullet caught in Kara’s side, the pliers slipping almost every time and tearing her insides further apart.  
The second time happened when Alex had to realign the bones around her knee before closing up the wound and securing her leg in a homemade splint.   
Throughout the night, everyone had relentlessly worked to help Cat and Alex. Even Astra had stepped in to hold down her niece when she woke up, to prevent her from hurting herself and the others. 

Now, most of them are asleep, aside from Alex, Astra, and Cat. 

The three of them are still working together to take care of Kara, as best as they can. When Carter exited the house, Astra was keeping watch over her niece while Alex and Cat tried to treat the burns on Kara’s arm and shoulder. 

“Mom’s going to pass out,” Carter eventually whispers. “She’s been stretching herself thin, she needs to rest.”

“You go tell her that,” Lois mutters, shaking her head. 

“She won’t leave Kara’s side. She’s terrified that if she does, Kara will die,” Carter slowly murmurs, his voice too grave for his age. “The last time they talked, they fought. Mom can’t live with that ...”

Lois closes her eyes and holds back the sob that threatens to slip out.  
She’s always known Carter is wise beyond his year, but no fifteen year old should bear such a weight on their shoulders. It always breaks her heart, whenever he says something that betrays how much he’s already seen, how much he’s already lived through.   
She remembers the little boy she used to throw in the air to make him giggle. The little boy who kept asking for her to peel the apple in one go, so he could play with the skin’s swirl. The little boy she tucked away to bed with stories of the stars and the moon, whom she taught how to play chess, and cheat at it.   
Not so long ago, he was barely a teenager and kept asking to be allowed to drink coffee, even though he obviously hated the taste of it; and now he’s a man who worries about his mother’s heart, after having been exposed to too much violence and heartbreak.

“You’re too perceptive,” Lois smiles, trying to keep her sadness at bay. 

“I know,” Carter replies, without any smugness or sarcasm to it, like a painful truth. “I have a point though. Since Mom won’t leave Kara’s side, how about we transfer Kara up to mom’s room? She’d be far more comfortable upstairs than on the couch, and way less exposed if say, the sheriff were to show up.” 

“When did you become so smart?” Lois lets out, taken aback by Carter’s idea.

“I’ve always been smart,” Carter shrugs, the shadow of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Once she’s all patched up, maybe Astra could take her to mom’s bedroom and that way, mom will also get some rest …”

“I’ll talk to her about it,” Lois nods, already knowing she’ll have a hard time trying to convince Cat it’s the best thing to do. 

“Is Astra staying?” Carter asks after a beat, sounding a little awed.

“I don’t think so,” Lois shakes her head. “I mean, she’ll probably be coming back a lot in the upcoming weeks, but I don’t think she’ll stay. She’s just waiting to see if Kara’s alright before taking off.” 

“Kara and Alex,” Carter nods, looking at the first rays of sun as they filter behind the mountains. 

“You noticed that too, uh,” Lois smiles, once again feeling nostalgic for when Carter was just an oblivious little boy. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“I think everyone noticed,” Carter arches a brow. 

In this moment, with the shy first lights of the day barely reaching his face and the smug sarcasm etched on his features, he is the spitting image of his mother. 

“She keeps looking at Alex whenever she’s not focused on Kara,” Carter chuckles. “I mean, I thought mom was bad at being discreet but that was before I met Astra. She’s terrible at hiding her feelings.”

“I think there’s more to this story but you’re right, they’re not exactly subtle,” Lois smirks in response. “Let’s go back inside, Carter. You need to sleep, you keep yawning. I’ll talk to your mother, we’ll see about bringing Kara upstairs.” 

Carter doesn’t even try to deny it, too busy fighting a yawn that echoes very loudly in the stillness of the morning.

\---

The next day goes by in a blur. 

Cat doesn’t remember much of it, she just knows she’s been taken care of by different people. She has vague recollections of Eve, Nia, Lois, and even Carter offering food and water throughout the day, but she doesn’t recall anything else. 

Her mind is full of bloody memories from last night. She can still hear the echo of Kara’s scream in her ears, and every time Kara whimpers in her sleep, her heart skips a beat. The extent of her visible injuries is so terrifying Cat wonders how Kara survived. She also suspects the trauma, the invisibles wounds, will be even worse.

Kara woke up a handful of times, but she kept passing out again after a few minutes. Alex, who never left her sister’s side, has managed to make her drink some water, to counter the effect of her fever. Since it wasn’t enough, Cat still had to place a good number of cold wet towels on her body to try to cool her down. 

At some point during the evening, Kara’s fever finally seemed to reduce.   
She was still hot and sweating through her clothes and bandages, but she didn’t need to be cooled down anymore. Cat still made sure to leave a cool towel on her forehead from time to time, to keep her comfortable. 

No one stayed up late that night, they all went to bed early. 

Everyone except Lois, Cat, Alex and Astra.

The gunslinger’s fast asleep on the couch, an irregular wheezing coming out of her lungs every time she exhales. The candle lights dance in the drop of sweat covering her face and it almost makes her sparkle. Despite the strange glow, she still looks incredibly pale.

Astra’s keeping watch, her imposing silhouette folded into an armchair by her niece’s head. Her war paint has faded away, becoming smudged streaks on her abs, her arms, and her face. She looks exhausted, but her eyes are still alert and intent on Kara. 

Lois walks into the living room with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a plate of sandwiches in the other. She places the food on the coffee table and then hands over the bottle to Alex, who’s sitting in another armchair by Kara’s feet. 

“Drink, you need it,” Lois orders and Alex doesn’t even think about protesting. She takes a few long gulps directly from the bottle. 

“You,” Lois turns to face Cat. “Eat.”

Cat, sat down on the coffee table, doesn’t have it in her to fight her best friend.   
She grabs a sandwich off the plate and starts eating. The food tastes like sand and ashes in her mouth, but she mechanically swallows the first bite, then another. She chases it away with whiskey, when Alex hands over the bottle.

“You should go get some rest,” Lois mumbles, looking at Cat.

Cat shakes her head no. She can’t leave Kara’s side. The thought alone makes her want to throw up. 

“Figured as much,” Lois sighs, shaking her head.

She grabs the bottle and takes a sip before offering it to Alex, who doesn’t hesitate.   
Cat shakes her head no when the older sister hands the bottle to her so Alex just places it next to the plate of food, on the coffee table.

For a moment, the only sound breaking the heavy silence is Kara’s wheezing. 

Until Alex starts to speak in Inze, her voice hoarse and rough.

Cat turns her head to watch Astra, who slowly tears her eyes away from her niece to look at the older Danvers. Anger darkens her incredibly blue eyes and her whole face tightens at Alex’s words, her jaw working fast as she grinds her teeth.

Her answer is fast-paced, fueled with emotions, and the words snap like whips.

“What’s happening?” Cat whispers, eyes going back and forth between Astra and Alex. “What did you ask?”

Alex waits for Astra to stop speaking before she turns her head to Cat. 

“I asked what happened with Maxwell Lord,” Alex explains, slowly. She looks upset, but her voice is calm and neutral. “I’m going to translate, but I have a feeling we’re going to need more alcohol.”

Lois is out of the room before Alex finishes talking.   
She comes back with five bottles, which earns her the shadow of a smile from the older Danvers.

“Alright,” Alex takes a deep breath. She turns to say something to Astra before focusing back on Cat and Lois. “She says it took almost three days to track Maxwell and his men back to a well hidden cave, high up in the mountains. Once they did find them, sometime in the late afternoon, they had to make sure Kara was with him before they could make a move.”

In her armchair, Astra nods quietly.   
Cat gets the distinct impression Astra actually understands English just fine, but now isn’t the time to dwell on that.

“They waited until dusk,” Alex checks with Astra and then confirms. “They waited until night to attack, hoping they’d get confirmation of Kara's presence.”

Astra’s voice is nothing but a growl when she resumes her story and Cat feels all the air leave her lungs when Alex suddenly pales, eyes widening in horror. 

“They … I’m sorry,” Alex grabs a bottle and uncaps it before drinking a good third of it. She looks torn between anger and despair and Cat waits, anxiously, for her to translate. “By nightfall, they didn’t have any doubt about Kara being in the cave with Lord. They ... heard her scream.” 

Cat raises a trembling hand to her mouth and fights against a sudden wave of nausea.   
In a corner of her heart, she finds herself hoping Kara only suffered physical abuse but another part of her mind hates herself for thinking like this. She’s seen Kara’s wounds, the full extent of her injuries, and it’s something she can deal with. She can fix this.   
If something else, something worse, happened, she’s not so sure she can do anything to help. It terrorizes her.

“They didn’t wait long after that. Astra led the whole assault and ordered her people to save Kara, at all costs. They trapped the bounty-hunters in the cave but the Indians don’t have guns so despite their number …”

“It wasn’t a fair fight,” Lois completes, her voice strangely soft despite all the tension in the air.

“It wasn’t, no,” Alex nods, listening to Astra. “A good number of her men were killed last night, but not in vain. They killed all of Maxwell’s men.”

“Did they …” Cat starts, still fighting against her nausea.

Astra’s words are so full of frustration Cat doesn’t even need Alex to translate.

“He escaped,” Cat murmurs, locking eyes with Kara’s aunt. “He managed to run away, didn’t he?”

Astra simply nods, raw anger burning in her blue irises.

“He escaped, but they got Kara,” Alex explains, stopping to drink more whiskey. “When Astra found her, in the back of the cave, Kara was tied up to a wooden pole, unconscious, and bleeding out. Astra brought her here as fast as she could without making her injuries worse.”

“How did he escape?” Lois asks, sitting on the table next to Cat. “I mean, it happened in a cave, right?”

Cat leans against her best-friend’s shoulder. She doesn’t say anything, but the vision of Kara’s body, limp in Astra’s arms, makes her stomach churn unpleasantly. She already knows it’s an image that will haunt her nightmares for a long time.

Astra listens to Alex and then turns her eyes to Lois, looking both angry and defiant.  
Cat can almost read the quiet threat in the blue eyes of the Inze leader, and she senses the vague urgency when Alex speaks again, seemingly clarifying something. Eventually, Astra lets out a quiet sigh.

“He shot his way through her men,” Alex explains, while listening to Astra. “He had too many weapons and her people were dying. She had to tell them to retreat, or he would have killed everyone, leaving her and Kara defenseless. She didn’t have a choice.” 

“I didn’t mean anything,” Lois amends, sensing Astra’s outrage through Alex's words. “I just wanted to know. Thank you.”

“Did she … say anything?” Cat gestures toward Kara, still unconscious on the couch.

“Zha.” Astra shakes her head. 

She adds something in Inze, but Cat doesn’t understand. The exhaustion is blurring her vision, it also makes Astra’s voice sound distant, like a faraway echo. She’s leaning heavily against Lois’ shoulder, aware that her best-friend has to brace her other arm on the table’s surface to support her weight, but she can’t help it.

She waits for Alex to translate. 

“She never regained consciousness, before we started healing her,” Alex clarifies, another heavy sigh escaping her lips. For a moment, she looks about to say something else, but she pauses to drink more alcohol. “Astra doesn’t know if she’s been through … anything else.”

The emotions swirling in her shining eyes are haunting, deep and raw. She looks on the verge of tears and at the same time, she seems ready to go on a rampage to find Maxwell Lord. Cat swallows against the new waves of nausea that threaten to make her throw up her sandwich. 

“I didn’t.”

Everyone startles at the unexpected voice chiming into the conversation.

“I didn’t,” Kara repeats, voice hoarse and raw, guttural. She looks on the verge of dying, her face covered in sweat, and bruises maring her skin here and there. Her baby blue eyes drowning in dark bags. “He didn’t do … anything … else.”

For a moment, no one moves. 

Lois just stares at the gunslinger. Alex’s jaw hangs open, eyes wide with surprise. Astra’s blinking rapidly, clearly taken aback. Cat’s too shocked to process.

“Hi,” Kara tries to smile but it quickly turns into a deep wince. “Oww …”

“Easy there, asshole,” Lois is the first to react. She grabs the glass of water off the table and, leaning forward above the couch, brings it to Kara’s lips. “Drink this.”

Kara lets out a dry chuckle that morphs into a cough, but once she’s caught her breath she gracefully accepts the water. It takes a moment and some of it spills onto her chin and drips down her neck, but eventually, she empties the glass.

“Welcome back, asshole,” Lois finally greets her with a smile, making Kara chuckle again. This time, she doesn’t cough. “Just when I thought I’d finally gotten rid of you …”

Kara starts to laugh, but it makes her wince and whimper in pain.

“Motherfucker,” Kara swears under her breath, but it’s still loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Language!” Alex scowls, sarcastically. Tears are rolling down her cheeks, but she’s smiling as she comes to kneel beside Kara. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Kara replies, a tired smile gracing her lips. “I’m sorry.”

“You better be,” Alex growls, leaning down to rest her forehead against her sister’s. “You scared the hell out of everyone.”

“Sorry” Kara mumbles, closing her eyes and taking a small breath, trying not to jostle her body too much. “How bad is it?”

“Pretty bad,” Lois replies, a hand coming to squeeze Cat’s thigh. “As far as we can tell, you’ve got multiple burns and wounds scattered across your body, a badly broken leg, and it will come as a surprise but you’ve also been shot!”

Kara chuckles, keeping her eyes closed. Her breathing is still laboured and ragged, the wheezing sound coming back full force.

“I’m going to go get you another glass of water,” Lois adds, standing up after a beat. “Think you can eat some soup?”

Kara shakes her head no, very slowly. Her eyes are still closed and Alex is whispering words no one else can hear, so Lois quietly slips away to the kitchen.   
After a beat though, Alex stands up and gestures for Astra to follow. For a moment, the Inze leader looks a little unsure about what to do, but eventually she goes after Alex and they both exit the living room. 

Lois comes back and drops the glass on the coffee table next to Cat.

“I’m going to bed. There’s a mattress in Carter’s bedroom, I’ll go sleep there,” Lois explains, already retreating to the stairs. “You should have Astra bring Kara upstairs to your bed, she’ll be much more comfortable than on this beaten up couch.”

She climbs up the first two steps before turning back.

“Good night, asshole,” Lois waves at Kara, before offering a soft smile to her best friend. “Night Cat.”

She’s gone in a matter of seconds after her farewells. 

“Hi,” Kara murmurs, bringing Cat’s attention to her.

Her eyes, cerned with dark circles and purple-black bruises, are insanely blue in the middle of her pale features. Sweat drips on her forehead and falls into her brows, rolling down the side of her temples to get lost in the hair behind her ears. There’s a gash across her cheek, a scratch on the tip of her nose, another superficial wound along her jaw and up to her chin. Cat absentmindedly takes note of all the little injuries scattered on Kara’s face. 

“Breathe,” Kara whispers again, blinking slowly. “Cat, breathe.”

Cat suddenly realizes she’s been holding her breath.   
She doesn’t know for how long, but her lungs are screaming for oxygen, her vision unsteady and her fingers numb. White little dots start to appear, dancing in front of Kara’s face.

“Take a breath, Cat,” Kara coaxes, her voice still hoarse, but now laced with worry. Cat thinks, in her oxygen deprived state, that it’s ironic how the roles are suddenly reversed. “Come on.”

Eventually, Cat inhales through her nose, filling her chest with the much needed air. She coughs and splutters a little at first, but quickly her breathing returns to a somewhat appropriate rhythm.

“Breathe,” Kara encourages her and Cat nods, unable to speak. 

She absentmindedly takes the glass on the table next to her and drinks a few sips before realizing it’s meant for Kara. She shakes her head and leans forward, placing the rim to the gunslinger’s lips.

Kara doesn’t protest. She slowly drinks the rest of the water, and lets her head fall back on the cushion, a pained sigh escaping her lips. 

“I much prefer being held at gunpoint,” Kara mutters, wincing again as she tries to move. “Ow! Broken leg, right …”

She strains on her neck to be able to look down the length of her body but when she notices the blanket covering her, she lets her head fall back again. A muttered curse escapes her lips and she closes her eyes.

“Any chance I’m allowed to drink whiskey?” Kara asks as she opens her eyes, her voice distorted by pain. Her ragged breathing makes the words hitch when she speaks. Drops of sweat roll from her eyebrows to her eyelashes, and when she blinks to chase them away, they look like tears escaping from the corner of her eyes.

Cat doesn’t respond.

She’s still processing the fact Kara is alive, conscious, and speaking.   
It feels like too much at once. One moment Kara was passed out on the couch, and now there’s a pair of baby blue eyes intently watching her. She’s so pale around the bruises and the wounds on her skin, she really does look dead. Yet she’s there, wheezing and speaking, with her eyes wide open and so indecently blue it’s like looking into a summer sky.

“Cat got your tongue?”

The smirk on Kara’s lips is odd, truly out of place. She’s covered in sweat, barely managing to breathe on her own, struggling to speak, and yet she’s smiling with humor. More than Kara’s words, it’s what makes Cat snap out of her mutism.

“A cat pun? Seriously?”

Kara’s smirk widens into a bright, sunny smile, and for a brief moment, it’s all Cat can see.   
No more bruises, no more injuries, no more blood. No broken leg, no gunshot wound, no sweat, no ragged breath, no pale skin.   
At this very instant, in Cat’s eyes, Kara looks exactly the same as the night she snuck into her bedroom, gloriously healthy and blindingly beautiful. 

A dam bursts somewhere in Cat’s chest.   
Something breaks with a resounding echo that reverberates across the spaces between her ribs. A heart wrenching sob escapes her lips, right before she crashes them on Kara’s.

The kiss is messy, salty, panicked. It’s out of rhythm, teeth clashing, lips bruising and tongues missing, but to Cat, it feels incredibly real. After so much time spent worrying about whether or not Kara was alive, the awkward kiss grounds her, anchoring her to reality. She sinks into it and the relief flowing through her is so strong she thinks she’s going to pass out.

Amidst the chaos, Kara’s lips still taste like home.

Cat breaks away after a moment. She’s crying and, again, her lungs are protesting against the lack of air. Tears roll down her cheeks and blur her vision as she kneels beside Kara, staying close to the wounded gunslinger. She feels a hand, strangely warm and gentle, close around one of hers and she instinctively clings to it while trying to catch her breath.

“Breathe, Cat,” Kara’s voice murmurs, raspy but clear and gentle. “Inhale, exhale.”

“I thought …” Cat tries to speak, another sob interrupting her. She can’t even see Kara’s face now, through her tears. “I thought you were …”

“I’m not,” Kara whispers, squeezing Cat’s hand. “I’m still alive. Not kicking though, not yet anyway, but I’m alive.”

Cat almost chokes on a chuckle, and a hiccup escapes her mouth. She smiles through her distress, the overwhelming relief finally starting to reduce to a slightly more manageable degree. She’s still sobbing and having difficulty breathing, but she can sense that her heartbeat is slowing down. That’s when she realises Kara’s thumb is tracing gentle circles on the back of her hand, slow and steady, grounding.

“There you are,” Kara smiles, her face turned to be able to look into Cat’s eyes. “Hi gorgeous.”

“Sweet talker,” Cat mumbles, moving to rest her forehead against Kara’s shoulder. 

She feels a kiss being dropped in her hair, but she doesn’t move, slowly catching her breath. Now that the adrenaline and the relief are gone, all she feels is exhaustion. She’s drained to the bones, and she could fall asleep on the spot, if not for the wheezing sound coming from Kara's chest.

“I’m going to go get your aunt,” Cat says, hiding a yawn behind her mouth as she stands up. “Lois has a point, you’ll be much more comfortable upstairs than here.”

Kara simply nods, clearly in too much pain to protest.

Before she leaves, Cat leans over and kisses Kara once more, slow and steady. 

Kara returns the gesture and Cat’s heart finally calms down, returning to its normal rhythm.   
They’re both smiling when Cat breaks the kiss, and she doesn’t even remember why she stood up. 

“You were about to go get Astra,” Kara reminds her, looking a little amused.

“Right,” Cat nods, moving away from the couch. She’s still reluctant to leave the room, some residual fear at the idea that when she’ll come back, Kara will be dead. It truly terrifies her, and Kara must sense it because she smiles.

“I’ll wait,” Kara says, softly. “Beside, it’s not like I can move, you know.”

“Good,” Cat deadpans, hiding her relief behind sarcasm. “Maybe you’ll stay still for a hot minute then.”

Kara pouts and mutters something under her breath, but Cat’s already out the door.

\---

The night is surprisingly warm when Cat steps outside the house. 

The sky has cleared out and the moon, hanging high amongst the stars, provides a soft but clear glow. It gives the world a slightly blue halo.

Cat is a little unsteady on her legs, the exhaustion draining her last reserves of energy, and she needs to lean onto the beam supporting the roof to catch her breath. She looks around, in the hope of finding Astra and Alex without having to walk too much, but the women are nowhere in sight. 

She’s about to call for them when the echo of hurried voices rises from the side of the house. It’s quick and flowing, a little sharp, and Cat instantly recognizes the Inze language. She’s been around Astra and Alex enough now to catch the intonations and the tone used to pronounce some words. 

Alex sounds angry, Cat realises. 

She walks across the porch, a hand on the railing, to get closer to the women.   
She doesn’t want to intrude, but she desperately needs sleep, and she’s not sure she can wait for Alex and Astra to resolve their conflict.

Astra’s voice grows stronger as Cat slows down near the side of the porch. Her inflections are sharper than Alex’s, faster too. She waits a moment, hoping for a lull in the discussion and wondering if she shouldn’t just interrupt. 

“Alex,” Cat calls after a while, noticing the women don’t seem to be calming down. She doesn’t lean over the railing, choosing to stay hidden to allow them some privacy. “We should have Kara carried upstairs to a bed, the couch isn’t helping with her laboured breathing.”

“Give us a minute,” Alex replies after a beat. “Astra will bring her up.”

“Sure thing,” Cat doesn’t linger and walks back to the door.

“Already?” Kara arches a surprised brow when Cat reenters the living room. “That was fast.”

Cat shrugs and grabs a cloth to wipe the sweat off Kara’s forehead.   
She remembers the sadness in Alex’ eyes when she asked about Astra, as they came back from visiting the Inze leader, and she figures it’s not her place to say anything to Kara. She doesn’t want to get in between the Danvers sisters.

“Astra will be here shortly, to bring you upstairs,” Cat explains while rinsing the cloth.

“Smart way to get me in your bed,” Kara smirks, eyes sparkling with amusement.

“I’d like to think I don’t need such an elaborate stratagem,” Cat chuckles, pleasantly surprised by the ease with which Kara banters. It’s light and simple, it chases away the last remnants of fear and adrenaline. 

“You’ve got a point,” Kara nods, eyes still gleaming with humor but her voice serious. “I have to admit, a bed sounds like a very good idea right now.” 

“You don’t say,” Cat sasses, hiding another yawn behind the back of her hand. 

Something changes in Kara’s eyes, a sparkle of darkness Cat doesn’t recognize.

“How bad is the leg, Cat?” Kara asks, glancing down at where her broken limb is hidden beneath the blanket. “Will I be able to walk again?”

Cat nods, having asked Alex the same question when they patched the gunslinger up, to the best of their abilities.

“It’s broken, but it’s clean and it should heal fine,” Cat explains, stroking the side of Kara’s temple as she speaks. “You probably will need to rebuild the muscle, after some time resting, but that should be it.”

A relieved smile floats on Kara’s lips as she closes her eyes, exhaling deeply. 

The entrance door slams shut and the sound makes Kara startle. Cat jumps a little too and instantly turns her head to watch as Alex enters the living room, looking angry.

“Astra’s coming,” Alex mutters, heading straight for the abandoned bottle of whiskey on the chimney mantle. 

“Is … everything alright?” Kara asks, looking utterly perplexed by her sister’s behavior. 

“Dandy,” Alex sarcastically replies before gulping down the alcohol. 

When Kara glances back at her with an arched brow, Cat only shrugs.   
She has no idea why Alex is in such a mood because while she did witness the fight between Astra and the older Danvers earlier, she doesn’t know what it is about. 

Astra steps into the living room only minutes later, her face unreadable.   
She makes her way toward Kara and speaks in Inze, her voice soft but firm. Kara only nods and reaches her arms up, holding onto her aunt’s neck while she’s being carefully lifted off the couch. Astra speaks again and Kara translates.

“She’s asking where to.”

Cat wordlessly steps in front of the Inze leader and shows the way to the stairs.   
It takes some adjustments for Astra to fit both her tall form and her niece’s body into the stairway but eventually, they reach the second floor without too much struggle, and Cat goes to open the door to her bedroom, gesturing for the bed.

Astra is careful and gentle when she lowers Kara onto the mattress, mindful of the broken legs and wounded side. Eventually, Kara lets out a relieved sigh as she lets herself rest against the propped up pillows Cat put behind her.

“Nahkluv,” Kara murmurs, sleep already clouding her eyes. 

Astra smiles warmly and drops a kiss on her niece’s forehead. Cat catches the word ‘zrhueiao’ as the Inze leader whispers something in return.

Kara’s fast asleep when Astra pulls away and takes a few steps back.   
She doesn’t say anything when she exits the room, but Cat has the distinct impression she’s leaving for good. She wonders if Alex will catch the Inze leader downstairs, but she’s too tired to care. 

She closes the door behind Astra and strips from her clothes as she comes back to the bed. 

Kara’s tucked in on the right side, so that her gunshot wound is facing the edge, and she’s not wheezing anymore. From time to time, a slight whistle escapes her lips, but it’s short and low, a sign she’s fast asleep and mostly comfortable. It’s almost soothing.

Cat dons her nightgown and climbs into bed next to Kara, careful not to jostle her. 

Kara’s body radiates heat. 

Cat moves to lay as close as possible, gently turning to cuddle into Kara’s unharmed side, and carefully placing one arm around the gunslinger’s waist, needing the touch to ground her. 

Finally settled, she lets Kara’s slow but steady heartbeat lull her to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there!
> 
> So, how was the awaited reunion between our lovely (stubborn) women? Hope I delivered! 
> 
> Now, I need to warn you : this might be the last update of the year, and the story might resume in January. 
> 
> I know, I know, it's not exactly cool and I was planning on writing through Christmas and NYE ... But I honestly have too much on my plate right now, and I want to keep writing for pleasure, not under pressure. That being said, I very well might keep writing and so you'll have a nice surprise but until the first Friday of January, don't expect too much.   
> The next piece of writing will probably be the Supercat Secret Santa prompt I need to start ( _I am so late_ ) ...
> 
> So I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and the whole fic so far, feel free to re-read it and see if you missed something in the plot, I'd love to have your thoughts!
> 
> Until then, I'm **lost-your-memory** on Tumblr and **GaneWhoo** on Twitter, if you want to chat!
> 
> _As always, reviews are nice!_


	15. CHAPTER 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **tw:** blood/injuries & nightmares

Cat slowly wakes up to the bright sunlight that filters into the room, painting the walls with golden ribbons and honey, trembling dots. 

Still caught in a half-slumber state, she doesn’t register that her limbs are heavier than usual. She does notice that the temperature around her is warmer than usual, almost hot even, but it doesn’t alarm her. She thinks she hears the faint echo of a regular sound, familiar enough for her to recognize it as wood being chopped, and voices are sometimes rising from somewhere below, but it’s all very distant, almost out of a dream. 

“Good morning, sleepy head.”

That particular voice, low and raw, echoes right into her ear, grounding, real and so very near. Surprised, Cat blinks herself awake, and then frowns when Kara’s face comes into focus.

“Kara?”

Cat blinks again, half-convinced that she was still dreaming. 

Kara couldn’t possibly be in her bed, bathed in morning light that made her baby blue eyes look like a cloudless summer sky. The gunslinger was more likely being tortured by Maxwell Lord and his merry men, somewhere in the unforgiving countryside, while Astra Inze and her people were looking for her. 

“In the flesh,” Kara’s voice echoes again, and a tight smile graces the face hanging in front of Cat’s eyes. “More or less, anyway.”

More details start to jump to Cat’s eyes. 

The sweat sparkling on Kara’s forehead, rolling in small drops along her temple. The extreme pallor of her skin, a far cry from her usual tan and healthy glow. The laboured breath, irregular and coming out in wheezing sounds through the gritted teeth of a tight-clenched jaw.

The heat radiating from her body.

Memories start to flood Cat’s mind.  
Kara’s head, falling over Astra’s arm, the blood on her face sparkling under the moonlight. Kara, wheezing on the couch from the pain caused by the bullet wound on her side. Kara’s broken leg, bent at an odd angle and with the bone peeking out. Kara’s smile when she regained consciousness, blinding and real, soothing.

“You’re … here!” Cat whispers, still trying to wrap her mind around Kara’s presence. 

“I am,” Kara confirms, her smile wavering but not fading. “Then again, it’s not like I could actually move so …”

Cat moves to sit down on her mattress, without taking her eyes off Kara.  
She takes in the strange angle of Kara’s body, pushed to the edge of the bed, and with her good leg hanging from it. A crimson flower stains the sheet on the side of Kara’s abdomen, growing wider by the second.

“Why didn’t you lead with that!” Cat growls, pushing the covers down and springing into action. “You should have woken me up the moment it started to bleed!” 

She gathers an empty bowl and a few clean linens before opening the door and haranguing the first person in sight.

“Lucy, bring me some hot water, I need to clean Kara’s bandages,” Cat orders, without even saying hello to the younger Lane. 

Lucy, who startled at how fast Cat opened her door, simply nods and runs to the stairway. 

“You don’t have to yell at anyone on my account,” Kara mumbles, pouting slightly. She looks terrible, but her eyes still gleam with humor and life, in the middle of her sweaty pale face. 

“You’re right. If anyone deserves to be yelled at, it’s you,” Cat retorts, glaring at the gunslinger as she steps closer to the bed. “Let me see.”

She carefully pulls at the sheet to unveil Kara’s wound and shakes her head with annoyance when she sees the state of her previous bandage, soaked black with blood.

“It’s a wonder it still holds,” Cat mutters, glaring up at Kara before moving to find another bowl. She brings everything to Kara’s nightstand and starts removing the useless piece of gauze, mindful of the bruised skin around it.

Alex opens the door without knocking, startling both Cat and Kara.

“About time!” Alex greets, eyes surveying Kara’s form while she holds the door open for Lucy to enter, a big bowl of steaming hot water between her hands.

“Perfect timing,” Cat nods, gesturing for Lucy to put the bowl on the nightstand. “I just got rid of yesterday’s bandage, I need to make a new one. Could you bring me some gauze?”

“Sure thing,” Lucy nods. “Glad to see you survived, Kara!”

“Did I, though?” Kara mumbles, gritting her teeth when Cat starts to clean her injury. 

“Come on, don’t be a cry baby,” Alex snaps, before sitting down at the bottom of the bed to carefully place a hand over one of her sister’s feet. “Lucy has a point, I’m really happy you didn’t die.” 

“Me too,” Kara lets out through a long-winded breath as Cat starts to stitch the wound. “I didn’t think I’d see the light of day ever again, to be honest.” 

Cat’s hands start to tremble at the very idea of it. It came so close, so very close … She shakes her head to chase the dark thoughts away, steals herself, and focuses on her task.

“Thank God Astra found you then,” Alex nods, gently patting her sister’s foot. “I’m sorry, by the way. We were running out of time and I didn’t know who else to turn to.”

“I know,” Kara sighs. “I’m not mad. It’s a good thing you went to her, otherwise I wouldn’t be here ...”

“Bleeding all over my bed,” Cat sarcastically interrupts, not wanting to hear another word about Kara’s near-death experience. “Lucky me, indeed.”

Kara starts to laugh but it quickly evolves into a heavy cough, one that shakes her whole frame and makes her wince in pain.

“Easy there, tiger,” Alex warns, holding onto Kara’s foot and patting it with her other hand. “No point in having you die of laughter!”

“Then stop making me laugh, damn it,” Kara grumbles, breathless, and clearly fighting off the pain in her body. 

“I’m almost done,” Cat chimes in, quickly finishing the stitches before gesturing for Lucy to come in. “I just need to bandage it and then I’ll check your leg.”

“How long until I walk again?” Kara asks, blinking her pain away while trying to focus on Cat.

“Normally, it’d take a month, but I have a feeling you’re going to be a terrible patient …” Cat sasses, glancing up at Kara. “So I’m going to say two weeks.”

“What!?” Kara almost shouts and the gesture makes her chest rise a little too fast. It pulls on the freshly tied stitches and she lets out a ragged wimper of pain.

“Calm down!” Cat frowns, gesturing for Lucy to help her bandage Kara’s injury before the gunslinger could do any more damage. “I’m serious though, you are going to stay in this bed for the next two weeks, save for bathroom breaks. Then, we’ll see about doing some exercises to strengthen the muscles in your leg.”

“Serves you right,” Alex states, nodding along to Cat’s explanations. “No more stupid moves, at least for a while. We’ll all be watching, too, so if you’re thinking of doing anything stupid, think twice.” 

“Come on, Alex, you know it’s ridiculous!” Kara protests, her voice rough and scratchy. “I can’t stay here for so long, what happens if the sheriff shows up and finds us, me, here? If Max comes back with reinforcements? We can’t risk it!” 

“I don’t think Lord will show his face any time soon, not after the devastation the Inze caused,” Alex shakes her head, thinking out loud. “He’s all alone, and even if he calls in reinforcements, he won’t attack the ranch. It’s on the sheriff’s map, not to mention your aunt’s … It’d be too blatant.”

Kara doesn’t seem entirely convinced, but she stays silent, trying not to move while Cat finishes tying and attaching the gauze. 

“All done, now you rest,” Cat nods to herself once she’s done, looking at the immaculate white bandage on Kara’s abdomen. “Please, try not to undo it before at least tomorrow?”

When Kara doesn’t answer, Cat looks up only to find that the gunslinger fell asleep.

Her face, covered in sweat, is glistening in the morning light and her breaths, still a little ragged, come out in slight whistles. 

“Is that normal?” Alex asks, sounding concerned. 

“To be honest, I’m surprised she woke up at all,” Cat explains, washing her hands over the bloody bowl of water and wiping them on a clean towel. “She’s in a lot of pain, it’s a wonder she was able to stay conscious for so long, let alone speak coherently.” 

“Oh,” Alex breathes out, a hand still wrapped around one of her sister’s feet. 

“Come on, let’s go have breakfast. We’ll save some for her,” Lucy says, gently taking Alex’s elbow to steer her up and away. “You coming?”

“In a minute,” Cat nods, starting to clean the nightstand by Kara’s side of the bed.

Lucy and Alex leave without another word and Cat works in silence, throwing the soiled water away and then gathering all the crimson pieces of cloth in the empty bowl. Once she’s done, the nightstand finally looks like it did before Kara woke up, and it’s like nothing happened.  
It barely settles Cat’s anxious mind, but it does bring a small sense of peace and achievement, enough to keep her going. She’s feeling restless, as if waiting for something to happen. It pulls at the seams of her sanity and threatens to burst with every single, ticking minute, but she does her best to reign it in, to keep some shred of control. 

A throat-clearing makes her jump out of her dark thoughts and she turns her head toward the doorframe. 

“Come on,” Lois gently says, offering a small smile. “You can’t take care of her if you don’t take care of yourself first. Come have breakfast, she’s not going anywhere. She can’t.”

Kara’s wheezing echoes in the room after Lois’ last words, and it’s enough to make Cat smile. It lasts less than a second, but it’s a sign, and she’ll take anything at this point.

“Alright,” she says, walking up to her best friend. “I’ll check on her after breakfast.”

“Good girl,” Lois nods, slipping an arm through Cat’s and steering her away.

\---

“Motherfucker!”

A loud crashing sound follows the curse and Cat jolts awake in her bed.  
The room is still dark, despite the few hints of morning tinting the sky outside. A candle is still burning on her nightstand, gently flickering. For a moment, she thinks she’s simply dreaming. She feels exhausted, her limbs heavy and her mind foggy, but when a hiss of pain echoes in the room, her instincts kick in.

She gets up and runs around the bed, stopping dead in her tracks when she sees Kara, sprawled on her front on the floor. 

The gunslinger’s half naked, her dark cotton pants riding high on her legs while the matching top lay, all bunched up, on the rug next to Kara’s head. The injured leg, still caught in a makeshift, but solid splint, is looking awfully white and turning purple around the knee.  
Her hair, drab and a little dirty, is spilling all around her head, along with a growing pool of blood.

“Kara! What happened!” Cat exclaims, kneeling by the gunslinger to assess the damage. When she’s certain nothing new is broken, she slowly reaches out and turns Kara to see her face. “Oh my gosh.”

The side of Kara’s forehead is dripping with blood. It coats her hair and her temple, looking almost black in the relative darkness of the room. Cat lets out a relieved breath when she sees that Kara’s still blinking, which means she’s still conscious, though apparently very confused and in a lot of pain.

“What happened?” Cat asks, looking around to try to understand. 

There’s a bottle of whiskey on the floor a few steps away. The candle-light gleams on the tainted glass, revealing the absence of liquid in it. Cat distinctly remembers having put a full bottle on the nightstand by Kara’s bed the previous evening, to help with the pain until Lucy and Lois came back from National Creek with more medicine. 

“Did you … are you drunk?” Cat frowns, glancing back down at Kara’s face. “Did you drink all the whiskey during the night?”

Kara slowly nods, seemingly unable to speak. Her lips are pursed thin, eyes glazed and unfocused, the sweat dripping from her hairline diluting the blood on her temple. She’s breathing hard, and she smells like cheap booze, the whole room does. 

“Kara! What happened are you ...” Alex barges into the room, wearing one of Lois’ old night gowns. She abruptly stops the moment she spots Cat and Kara. “What the fuck?”

“She’s drunk,” Cat explains, using a hand to gesture to the empty bottle. “I’m guessing she tried to grab the bottle and fell off the bed …”

Again, Kara slowly nods, but doesn’t say a word. 

“What do you need?” Alex asks, without wasting a moment. She steps a little closer, but doesn’t do anything, waiting for Cat to answer. 

“Help me get her back into bed, then I’ll need hot water and clean towels …”

“You got it,” Alex nods. She grabs Kara under the arms while Cat carefully takes the legs, mindful of the broken one, and a few minutes later, the gunslinger is laying in bed again. “I swear to God, you better not have broken any new bones, Kara …”

The younger Danvers only shakes her head no, and Alex mutters an insult under her breath before leaving to go get what Cat needs. 

“Seriously, Kara. It’s the third night in a row …” Cat sighs, moving to light more candles across the room. “I know you’re in a lot of pain, I know that, but you shouldn’t drink that much.” 

Kara doesn’t answer, and Cat lets out another sigh. 

It’s been a hard week for them both, between Kara’s helplessness and Cat’s anxiety. 

Kara was understandably going mad from both the pain, and the forced immobility, and she had started drinking herself numb when she couldn’t have more medicine. Everyone was worried, but Cat had to suffer the full brunt of it. And since Kara spent her time in bed, she was usually restless at night. It meant Cat rarely got to sleep through the night either. 

“Here, I got you everything,” Alex says, coming to settle everything on Kara’s nightstand. “I’m going back to bed, it’s 4am or something. Shout if you need more help?”

“I will, thank you Alex,” Cat offers a tired smile to the older Danvers, who doesn’t return the gesture as she closes the door behind her. 

Cat takes a deep breath and then starts on the usual routine of patching Kara up. 

She cleans the wound and checks if it needs stitches before taking her time to gently remove all the blood from Kara’s face and hair. They don’t speak, but Kara stays conscious the whole time. Her eyes, still glazed from alcohol, look miles and miles away. She seems lost in herself, absent.

“Here, all clean,” Cat whispers, hiding a yawn behind her blood-soiled palm. “Do you need anything else before I come back to bed?”

Kara doesn’t seem to hear her, and Cat is too tired to insist. She cleans her hands, tidies the room a little, and then blows out most of the candles. She only leaves two to burn, on her desk and on her bed stand.

She slips under the covers and moves to the side to watch the flame move and flicker, throwing long shadows on everything in the room. 

“I’m not drinking to … numb the pain.”

Kara’s voice is rough and raw, haunted.  
It’s unsettling, but Cat doesn’t move. If she’s being honest with herself, she’s a little mad at Kara for making things harder than they already are. 

“It just … it helps with … the nightmares.”

That gets Cat’s attention. She hesitates a moment before turning on the mattress, to be able to look at the ceiling. 

Since Kara was forced to spend her days in bed, she mostly slept when Cat wasn’t around to watch, and on the few times she’d been there, Kara didn’t seem to have any sleeping issues. Still, various members of the gang said something about nightmares, about Kara whimpering in terror, when it wasn’t in pain. Alex mentioned that Kara keeps reaching for her throat whenever she wakes up after a nightmare, and Lucy said Kara either gasps for air or holds her breath in her sleep. 

“I … In my dreams, I’m … back there, with … him,” Kara murmurs, her voice low, raw and small.

The candle-light dances on the ceiling, distorted and elongated shadows moving around without any logic to it. It gives Kara’s words a strange and deep echo, making them sound entirely too real.  
Alex tried, once or twice, to make Kara talk about what happened to her during her time in Lord’s captivity, but the gunslinger closed off every time. Kara never said a word about it, until tonight.

So Cat turns again, to be able to look at Kara.

The gunslinger is looking at the ceiling, but when the candle-flame flickers, it catches a few drops along the side of Kara’s cheek. She’s quietly crying, Cat realises, her heart dropping in her chest at the sight. She itches to reach out, to erase the tears from under Kara’s eyes, but she knows it would only make Kara close off again so she stays put, against her best instincts. 

“It always starts the same,” Kara whispers into the night, her voice like a raw melody for the shadows to dance to. “I’m waking up in the dark, tied to some kind of pole, shivering-cold, wet … and my whole body’s burning with unbearable pain.” 

Cat listens, watching as the candle-light creates strange curves and elongated shadows on Kara’s face, like a twisted reflection of the ones above them. 

“I can hear voices, distant and distorted, echoing all around me. I’m burning hot and shivering from cold at once, going crazy from the agony in my limbs, but all I can think of is this visceral feeling of imminent danger,” Kara adds, slowly, through a ragged breath. “It’s clouding everything.” 

Kara pauses and blinks, causing more silent tears to roll down the side of her cheeks. Cat stays silent, allowing the gunslinger to tell her story.

“I know he’s there, but I can’t see him. I can’t hear him either, just indistinct voices and crass laughter, all men,” Kara explains. “There’s water, dropping from somewhere, too. The noise is so regular, so invariable that it is maddening, worse than the voices.” 

Kara moves a shoulder against the pillow, shaping it to better fit under her head.

“The water drops keep on falling, one by one, stretching the time. It feels like long, excruciating hours, but I know it’s only seconds, minutes at the most. Until he appears, slowly coming into focus through the darkness all around us. He’s … different.”

Cat wants to ask how, but she stays silent. She waits until Kara is ready to speak again, eyes intent on the gunslinger’s profile. 

“He’s … crazier, somehow,” Kara continues, working on her breathing to be able to speak. “His eyes are gleaming black, and I don’t understand how, because we’re in the dark, there’s no light coming from anywhere. I can’t even see my own body, but I see him and the look in his eyes is utter madness. He stays a couple of feet away, quiet, watching in silence through his shining black irises. I can’t cry, I can’t speak, I can’t do anything. We’re all alone in the dark and everything in me, everything that isn’t pain, is screaming danger.” 

Kara abruptly stops talking. Cat watches as the gunslinger tries to reign in her rising anxiety. She has a feeling she has to stay silent, that if she speaks she’s going to break Kara’s momentum, and she doesn’t want to do that. Eventually, Kara swallows hard, takes a deep breath and then exhales, slowly.

“That’s how it starts, my dreams,” Kara murmurs, lower than before. “The rest of it changes, randomly it seems, but it’s always filled with pain, blood, and terror. I scream, in my nightmares. I scream so hard, but it’s in my head. I can’t speak, I can’t make any sound and my cries, my agony, it’s all trapped in my mind.”

Kara pauses and slowly turns her head to face Cat and her eyes are blurry with tears and fears.

“That’s why I drink, mostly,” Kara tries for a smile but the result is a grimace, a twisted wince. 

Cat can see the exhaustion in Kara’s haunted eyes and she now understands why Kara never seems to sleep for too long. She’s suspected as much, but she couldn’t be sure and she didn’t want to confront Kara before she was ready, but she gets it now.

“Alright,” Cat nods. She reaches a hand out, and caresses Kara’s cheek, carefully and tenderly wiping the tears away. “I understand. We’ll get through it.”

“We will?” Kara squeaks, frowning in confusion.

“We will, yes. Not with alcohol, though, because it’s not the answer and deep down, you know it,” Cat insists, meeting Kara’s eyes to make sure she’s understood. “We’ll find a way for you to deal with the nightmares, with the trauma, for you to be able to sleep again.” 

Kara doesn’t say anything for a while and Cat finishes wiping the tears away, before scooting closer to Kara. She lays her head against the gunslinger’s shoulder, and carefully intertwines their fingers together, mindful of Kara’s injuries. 

“I can think of a way for me, for us really, to sleep soundly again …” Kara murmurs as Cat is already well on the way to slumber. 

It takes a whole minute before Cat can understand what Kara is alluding to. When she does, she lets out an indignated humpf.

“Shut up!” Cat groans, rolling her eyes under her eyelids. “Go to sleep.”

“Yes ma’am,” Kara chuckles, settling a little more comfortably in the bed. “Night’ Cat.”

Cat hides her smile against Kara’s shoulder, and as Kara’s heartbeat starts to slow down, she allows herself to fall asleep again.

\---

“Alright, ready?”

“Yes.”

“You sure? We don’t have to …”

“Alex. Shut up and help me up,” Kara groans, reaching out a hand for her sister to hoist her onto her feet.

“No need to be rude!” Alex grumbles, still grabbing Kara’s hand, and pulling her from the bed. “Here, try these. I adjusted the height, they should fit now.”

Alex slips a crutch under each of her sister’s arms and adjusts her hold on it until Kara is handling them correctly. 

“Good?” Alex asks, taking a step back to give some room to her sister while still surveying her every move.

“Better,” Kara nods, taking a tentative first step with the crutches. 

At first, she wobbles a little, and for a moment, it seems she’s about to fall. She finds her balance again, and anchors herself onto the crutches before taking another few steps toward the door.

“Finally,” Kara mutters, stepping outside of the bedroom for the first time in a month. “I’m thinking of switching rooms, I can’t stand this one any more.”

“You can’t, all rooms are full,” Lois chuckles, leaning against the doorframe of the room she’s sharing with Carter. “Besides, you could show a little gratitude. Should it have been me, you’d be sleeping outside in a tent.” 

“Right,” Kara mumbles, glaring daggers at the older Lane. “Then by all means, take the room, I’ll take the tent.”

“Careful, asshole,” Lois replies, her voice hardening as she pushes against the doorframe to stand up. “I have absolutely no problem taking you at your word, meaning I’d sleep next to Cat while you get the cold hard ground by the barn.” 

“Should I go make some popcorn?”

Carter’s voice makes everyone turn their head to the stairs, on which he is standing. He’s still not fully up on the floor, still a few stairs down, but his eyes are gleaming with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. 

“I’d take popcorn”, Alex chimes in, showing her head around the doorframe of Cat’s bedroom? “Don’t worry kid, Lois is just messing with Kara.”

The look in Lois' eyes is telling otherwise, but Carter chooses to ignore it.

“Are you coming downstairs, Kara?”

“I’m trying, yeah,” Kara retorts, throwing another angry glare at Lois before hopping on her crutches toward the staircase. “Go back down buddy, I’ll follow after you. It might take me some time, but I’ll be there.” 

“Be careful. Mom is in a mood today, I don’t need you ripping all your wounds open and then some, falling down the stairs,” Carter warns, pointing a slightly threatening finger under the gunslinger’s nose.

Lois and Alex chuckle behind her, but Kara doesn’t turn around. Instead, she tucks one of her crutches under her arm and uses the free one to cling to the railing as she moves onto the first steps. 

“Don’t be stupid! Give me the other crutch,” Lois orders, holding a hand out.

Kara hesitates, but it’s proving difficult to handle one crutch while the other is tucked under the same arm. She reluctantly gives the useless one to Lois and continues her descent. She’s slow and careful, but determined.

The moment she steps foot on the ground floor, she wobbles so hard both Alex and Lois rush to try to hold her. Only Kara doesn’t fall. The muscles of the arm still attached to the railing are straining, but she stays up, slowly recovering her balance.  
Eventually, she reaches for the other crutch and Lois hands it to her without comment.  
Kara’s face is drenched with sweat and her breathing is laboured, ragged, but she’s smiling triumphantly. 

“Well done, now to the kitchen, asshole,” Lois gestures for Kara to start walking, and it earns her a glare from both the Danvers sisters, but she doesn’t relent. “Come on, lunch is getting cold.” 

Kara slowly, very slowly, starts to walk to the kitchen, and Lois waits until she’s all the way through the door frame to allow herself to smile. 

“She’s growing on you,” Alex chuckles, eyes gleaming with humor. “You hide it well though, I ought to take a page out of your book.” 

“She’s insufferable,” Lois denies, shaking her head no. “Still, I gotta admit, she’s very strong, that sister of yours. I’m not sure anyone could endure that amount of pain as well as she is.” 

“She’s always been resilient, yes,” Alex nods, watching as Kara’s silhouette gets swarmed by Carter, Eve, Nia, and Cat, all wanting to help. “Physically, she’s stronger than most people. My parents once said it could be because of her Inze genes, which would indeed make sense. Mentally … Well. She’s been through a lot. Too much for one soul, for sure. It forged her, hardened her even.” 

“Look,” Lois suddenly points to the kitchen and Alex turns her head to follow her line of sight.

Kara, sitting on a chair by the end of the table, is gently talking to Lena.  
The Luthor heiress is sitting on a chair on Kara’s right and from her spot at the bottom of the stairs, Alex can see, as clear as day, the smile on her face.  
It’s not the first time she’s seen her friend smile since they started living with the Grants but it still looks almost foreign, odd. She was haunted and broken beyond reason when Kara brought her into the gang, and Alex is always surprised that after everything she went through, she could actually smile again.

“Well, I’ll be damned …” Alex whispers, as if her voice could break the spell.

Amongst everyone else in the gang, Kara has always been the only one to get through to Lena. Alex always thought it was a strange form of ‘misery loves company’. Kara with her tragic past and half-the world going after her, and Lena, who’s been through unspeakable horrors and basically lost her sanity.

Today though, the bright and sunny daylight coming into the kitchen through the windows on her side, makes Lena glow as it catches the silver in her hair. She’s radiant, unguarded, and open, apparently content to just listen to whatever Kara is saying.

“Maybe there’s hope after all …” Lois smiles, almost tenderly.

“What a sight to behold,” Andrea comes to stand next to the women, smiling to herself as she watches Kara gesture with her hands to emphasize something in her story. Lena’s smile grows wider, and for a moment there, it looks like she’s going to laugh. She doesn’t, but the ghost of the sound is echoing around the kitchen all the same. “They’re getting better, both of them.” 

“Indeed,” Alex nods, still whispering. “Kara still has a long way to go before she can walk by herself again, let alone ride, but Lena … Lena is healing, somehow. I didn’t think …”

Alex doesn’t finish her sentence, but Lois and Andrea understand what she was about to say. They nod along, watching as Cat puts plates in front of Kara and Lena without interrupting them. The look on Cat’s face is full of wonder, and she’s smiling, affectionately. 

“Well, are you coming or what?” Carter suddenly appears in the door frame, hands on his hips and a brow raised in question.

“He looks like his mother, it’s uncanny really,” Andrea mumbles as Alex steps forward to join the young man.

“I know, right? It’s impressive,” Lois laughs next to her. “I remember one time, he was about eight or nine years old and he’d broken a window. It was an accident, but Cat had told him at least three times to be carefull, so she was understandably pissed. She started reprimanding him, fists on her hips, standing tall and proud in front of him, chin up and everything … well, you’ve seen it, you know how she gets.” 

Andrea nods, having indeed seen Cat in such a posture a few times since they all crashed at the ranch. 

“So there she is, standing in the middle of the living room, sternly giving him a lecture … and Carter, who’d always been very sweet and quiet, very calm, suddenly mimics her. He stands, squaring his shoulders to broaden them, raising his head to defiantly show his chin, and he puts his hands on his hips. He doesn’t say anything, mind you, he just stands there in front of his mother, in the exact same position, frowning just like her too.” 

“Oh gosh, that must have been hilarious!” Andrea chuckles, eyes alight with humor.

“Oh it was, I fell off the couch with laughter, but Carter didn’t even blink, no. He stared right back at his mother and I swear, I thought he was about to start lecturing her!” Lois laughs in reminiscence. “Cat eventually let him get away with it, with both the broken window and the borderline rebellious behaviour. It’s the only time he managed to get away from a lecture, I believe.” 

“The only time, yes,” Cat chimes in, having exited the kitchen, and now standing in front of the women. “I remember I had to force myself not to laugh, which was made even more difficult by the fact Lois was crying of laughter a few feet away.”

“I can only imagine,” Andrea says, a note of longing echoing in her voice as she watches Lois slip an arm through Cat’s. When the women invite her to follow, she shakes her head and smiles. “Go ahead, I’m going to wait for Winn. He shouldn’t be much longer.” 

“Do you think we said something wrong?” Cat whispers, glancing behind as Andrea walks away to go wait for Winn on the porch. “She looked … sad, after the anecdote you shared …”

“I don’t know,” Lois answers, thoughtfully. “Maybe it brought back memories of her time with her family, before Lord happened.”

“Should I ...”

“No, leave her alone,” Lois shakes her head, steering Cat back to the kitchen. “If she needs to talk, she’ll do it on her own time, let’s not rush her. Besides, I think Kara is trying to escape …”

Kara, who was indeed trying to get ahold of her crutches to leave the table, looks up to glare daggers at Lois.

“Kara Danvers Zorel!” Cat exclaims, freeing herself from Lois’s hold and coming to grab the wooden legs, removing them from Kara’s reach. “Where do you think you’re going?” 

Lena visibly startles at the raised voice, and scoots closer to the gunslinger, narrowing her eyes at Cat. 

“Don’t yell, you’re scaring Lena,” Kara explains, gently patting Lena’s hands. “Don’t worry Lee, Cat is just worried. I’m not supposed to move too much yet, as I am still recovering.” 

“Damn right,” Cat nods, offering a smile to the Luthor heiress. “I’m just making sure Kara doesn't go and get new injuries, which is apparently a full-time position …” 

“Rude,” Kara pouts, crossing her arms over her chest.

“But true,” Carter points out, from the other end of the table.

“Thanks for having my back, buddy!” Kara protests, her pout deepening.

“I’m not, I’m protecting your leg,” Carter replies, matter-of-factly.

It makes everyone in the kitchen burst into laughter, and eventually, even Kara smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, you lovely people
> 
>   
> I did promise I'll start publishing back in January, so here's the first chapter of 2021.  
> It's filled with angst, but balanced with humor and love.
> 
> A little warning : I'm not quite where I wanted to be with this fic, meaning I only have one chapter written in advance whereas I prefer to have at least three, but I know myself and I know why I'm struggling a little. Writing the end has always been my least favorite part and I'm so attached to this story that's it's even harder than expected.
> 
> All I'm saying is; I will try my best to keep uploading every two weeks, like I did before, but I might encounter some delays, especially as this new year is promising to be heavy with work ( _job wise_ )
> 
> But anyway : 
> 
> Happy new year again, may 2021 be nice and gentle on us, we deserve it
> 
> _As always, reviews are nice_  
> 


	16. CHAPTER 16

The early evening sky paints the world in warm, golden shades, and it smells like summer - dry dust and bloomed flowers. The heat weighs heavy on the world, despite the fresh breeze swirling in the air, gently agitating the branches of the trees. 

“Damn, it’s hot,” Kara mutters, waving a hand in front of her face in the vain hope of creating some airflow to refresh her. 

She’s sitting on the porch’s stairs, her back to the house and eyes trained on the horizon ahead. Her hair is tied up in a high ponytail, but loose strands are sticking to her temples and her whole face is covered in sweat. It rolls down her neck and drenches her already see-through and mostly open pale-blue shirt. She’s also wearing a pair of jeans and the bottoms have been rolled up as high as possible, it shows the new and improved splint on her broken leg. Her crutches are resting next to her spread out legs, and she’s propping herself on the porch using her other elbow. 

“Beginning of summer will do that to you, yes,” Lois sasses, sipping a homemade lemonade. She’s sitting a few steps away, on the porch swing, watching Carter and Winn work on the paddock’s fence near the barn. “It’s rather late, though, we should have had this kind of weather a few weeks ago already.” 

“How can you stand it?” Kara grumbles, turning her head to the older Lane.

“Conditioning,” Lois replies without missing a beat. “One would think that you, a most wanted gunslinger who’s been spotted everywhere across the whole wide west, would be used to all kinds of weather, really …”

“I am, when I’m free to go where I please,” Kara snaps, frustration echoing in her voice. “I usually jump in a lake or a river when I’m too hot …” 

“Ah, fair,” Lois recognises, nodding along. “The nearest lake to here is … well, you know. It’s actually where I met you for the first time. See, I just knew you were trouble, even then …”

Kara straightens herself long enough to flip Lois off, before placing her arm on the porch’s floor again. 

“So rude,” Lois chuckles, sounding entirely too amused by the situation.

“Lois, stop annoying Kara,” Lucy chimes in, stepping out of the house with a tray of glasses and a pitcher full of lemonade. Ice-cubes gently float along the liquid, clinking against the side of the pitcher, and the sound itself is somehow refreshing. “Cat is on her way, she’s handling the last of the laundry with Eve and Nia.” 

“What about Alex and Andrea?” Kara asks, accepting the glass from Lucy’s hands with gratitude and relief. “Are they back from their hunting trip?” 

“Not yet,” Lucy answers, sitting down next to Kara. “They shouldn’t be much longer, though.” 

A peal of laughter swirls into the heat, bringing all eyes back to the scene happening in front of them. Lena, who had been a quiet spectator to the men’s work, is now throwing buckets of water at them, making them laugh.

“Is that your way of telling us we stink?” Winn exclaims, protecting his face when Lena throws more water at him. 

She’s getting it from the horse's trough, right next to where the men are fixing the paddock. Her hair flows and swirls around her with every move she makes and she’s laughing. The sound is carefree, genuine and clear. It echoes endlessly in the late afternoon.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Kara whispers, awe lining her voice.

“Oh,” Lucy gasps next to her, an emotional smile gracing her lips as she watches Carter get splashed once more. 

“What’s happening?” Cat asks as she exits the house, coming to join Lois on the swing while Eve and Nia step down around Kara and Lucy, choosing to sit on the lowest step. 

“Lena’s laughing, out loud,” Lois informs her, pointing toward the little group. “Look, and listen.”

Carter, drenched with water and smiling from ear to ear, drops his hammer and then runs toward the drinker. He plunges both his hands in it and returns the favor by sending a good chunk of water at Lena. 

“She’s doing impressively well,” Cat chuckles as Lena somehow avoids the water entirely and starts to run away from Carter. “I’m so glad!” 

“No one expected her to make such a recovery,” Lucy explains, turning her head to look at Cat. “This is … nothing short of a miracle, I believe.” 

Everyone nods, including Lois. 

Lena pokes her tongue out and manages to avoid another of Carter’s waves of water. She’s running in the middle of the road when she suddenly stops, seemingly captivated by something. Her back is to the ranch so no one can see what gets her attention. A moment later, Carter joins her and stands next to her, mindful of not touching her. Eventually, he turns around and waves at the small group of women. 

“Moooom!” Carter’s voice is strong and filled with a sense of urgency. He’s pointing at a rapidly growing cloud of dust coming their way, on the main road leading to the ranch. “We’ve got company!” 

Everyone stands up, in one single movement.  
Everyone but Kara, who simply sighs and slowly reaches for her crutches while Eve and Nia go back inside the house, followed by Lucy and Lois.

“Come on you, let’s get you inside,” Cat says, coming down the few steps and reaching a hand to help Kara up.

“I’m okay,” Kara smiles, shaking her head at Cat’s hands and hoisting herself onto her feet by herself, using the crutches. “Thank you, though. I know you want to help, but I want to start working on strengthening my leg now that I’m mostly healed.”

The sound of horse’s hooves beating the dust start to echo in the distance, growing louder and louder with every passing second, but Kara doesn’t seem determined to move. She’s curiously eying the approaching cloud of dust.

“You can’t stay here, Kara, it’s too dangerous,” Cat urges, gesturing toward the source of the noise. “We don’t know who it is. It could be the sheriff, or worse …”

Carter and Lena quickly walk by the women. Lena’s face is pale and tensed, her smile long gone and her eyes a little crazy, agitated. Carter is right behind her, still careful of her personal space, but close enough that she can know he’s there. They climb the few steps and disappear into the house, but Winn stays back. Shirtless, his tanned torso covered in sweat and water, shining in the golden hues of the late afternoon, he’s standing behind Cat to keep watch, his left hand hovering around his Colt. 

“It could also be Andrea and Alex, coming back from their hunting trip,” Kara protests, eyes turned to the road. In the distance, it’s impossible to discern anything but the riders figures, lost in the yellowish dust. “I think I see at least two people …”

“We’re about to know, anyway,” Lois states, posting herself at the corner of the porch and aiming her rifle at the group of visitors. “I swear, this ranch is getting too many visitors, it’s becoming annoying.”

Lucy, who’s just exited the house with a few weapons in her arms, chuckles.

“Well, we’re kind of popular, in case you didn’t notice before …” Lucy eventually replies while giving her Winchester rifle to Cat and her usual Colt to Kara. 

The incoming cloud of dust is growing closer and closer. The ground starts to tremble under the hooves’ rhythm, fast and yet regular. Kara tilts her head and frowns, looking slightly perplexed.

“I’m counting four horses, but I could have sworn I didn’t see as many riders …” 

As she finishes her sentence, the riding silhouettes finally emerge from the cloud of dust.

Four horses, gleaming with sweat under the warm golden light, start to slow down as they approach the house. Four horses but only three riders.

“Sorry, we’re a little late!” Andrea greets, joyfully, with a wave of her hand. 

She’s riding the first horse, a sturdy animal of nutmeg color aside from the white diamond on the head, between the eyes. The brown hat on her head is tilted to the side, and added to her happy smile, it gives her a relaxed and peaceful aura. 

Next to her, Alex is perched atop her usual mount, a tall, pinto mustang.  
The white of the coat is dusty and wet, making it look more beige than anything else but the black spots are glistening under the light, highlighting the muscles.

“We ran into Astra,” Alex explains, gesturing toward the Inze on the horse behind her. “She said she had something for you, Kara, so we went with her to the Inze camp to retrieve it.”

Astra, tall and majestic atop her entirely white horse, is smiling.  
It’s the first time Cat’s seen the Inze leader smile, and she’s struck by how much she looks like Kara, in this moment. Her brown locks are cascading freely around her face, bouncing on her naked shoulders, and the blue of her eyes is full of light, a far, far cry from all the angst of their previous encounters. 

“Khughu satogh,” Astra says, gesturing toward the last horse of the group.

Cat instantly recognizes the animal, right before Kara lets out a squeal of joy.

“Kal!”

The strong grey horse instantly trots to Kara, stopping right in front of her to give her a gentle head bump. He neighs and does it again, so Kara drops her crutches and throws her arms around her horse’s neck, burying her head into his mane. 

Cat’s heart swells with love and happiness at the sight. 

“It means … ‘favorite animal’ or something close” Alex explains, answering Winn’s question about what Astra said. She climbs down from her horse and pets it on the neck before handing the reins over to Andrea, who offered to take care of the mounts. 

The older Danvers then turns to face Astra and starts to speak in Inze. Cat notices the tone is quiet and calm, without any trace of anger, resentment or frustration. Eventually, Astra nods and slowly dismounts her horse. Andrea steps forward to offer to take care of it but the Inze leader shakes her head no.

“No need, Inze horses are free animals,” Alex explains, as Astra affectionately pets her horse before waving it away. The animal, unbothered, simply walks toward a patch of yellowish grass and starts to munch on it. “She’ll whistle when she needs her horse again, and Shom will come.” 

“Shom?” Cat asks, eying the beautiful white horse with curiosity.

“It means … flame, or fire,” Alex nods. “The Inze people cherish Rao, the sun, so it’s a magnificent name for a horse.”

“What did you ask her?” Lois chimes in, from her spot at the corner of the porch.

She’s put down her rifle and is now leaning against the wooden beam supporting the rooftop, with her arms crossed and a look of curiosity etched on her features. 

“I asked her to join us for dinner,” Alex replies, risking a hopeful glance at her sister. Kara, still hugging her horse, doesn’t react so Alex continues “I hope that’s alright?”

“It’s perfectly alright,” Cat nods, not letting Lois or Lucy get a chance to talk. “We’re having dinner outside tonight, since the weather is so nice. Go freshen up, there’s a cold bath upstairs that will do nicely …”

Alex turns to face Astra, looking a little uncertain. Astra says something in Inze that has the older Danvers nod and walk toward the house. The ease of their interactions is a stark contrast with the last time Cat saw the two women talk, and she wonders if they settled things between them. 

She suddenly realises Alex didn’t translate anything, she just nodded and left. 

Arching a brow, she places her hands on her hips and then stares at the Inze leader in the eyes.

“You understand English perfectly well, don’t you?” 

A gleam of humor crosses Astra’s insanely blue eyes, followed by a really amused smile and a curt nod. 

“I thought as much,” Cat sighs, shaking her head. “Well. You’re welcome to join us in the back once you’re ready. Be prepared, we’re a loud and noisy bunch.” 

Astra nods, a small smile gracing her thin lips.  
Cat gestures for the Lane sisters and for Winn to follow her into the house, determined to give some privacy to the Inze leader and her niece.

\---

She’s in the kitchen when Alex joins her, asking about Astra’s whereabouts.

“She’s outside with Kara, I believe,” Cat replies, handing a knife over to the older Danvers, and gesturing toward a pile of potatoes on the table. “Here, help me with dinner, since you’ve added a guest to our table. I’m surprised you did, by the way. Last I heard, you two were at each other’s throats ...” 

“You’re a very nosy person, did you know?” Alex grumbles, taking the knife and going to sit on the bench in front of the potatoes. 

Cat starts to whip up a salad sauce, a smirk on the lips.

“I can feel you staring,” Alex mutters, glancing over her shoulder. “Quit it.”

“So, what happened between you and the Inze leader?” Cat insists, moving to the other side of the table to face Alex. She brings the bowl and a few bottles and ingredients with her, to be able to prepare dinner while listening to the older Danvers. “Was it about Max? Or … about Kara?” 

Alex stops peeling to glare, but Cat ignores it, simply gesturing toward the stack of potatoes next to Alex’s hands. 

“Both, actually,” Alex eventually relents, sighing exaggeratingly before resuming what she was doing. “I wanted to go after Max, after seeing how badly Kara was hurt …”

A feeling Cat could absolutely relate to, but she keeps the thought to herself.  
It would have been reckless and stupid, in the heat of the moment, especially given how emotional Alex had been, but there’s no telling the older Danvers that.  
Except, apparently, Astra did tell her just that, the way it was.

“She refused to tell me where she’d found Kara, so I didn’t have anywhere to start looking for him. I was so mad, so stressed, so exhausted too … I didn’t realise how much, and I kind of lashed out. I took all my anger and my fears out on her. I unloaded everything I had been holding in since Kara gave herself up as a hostage, and I have to say, looking back, she took it rather … gracefully.”

Cat nods, distractingly dropping leaves of green salad into the wooden bowl.  
She distinctly remembers the absolute, cold anger in Alex’s voice, the ruthlessness of her tone that had been accentuated by the harshness of the Inze language. She figured, back then, that it was something along those lines but she didn’t know the extent of it. 

“How gracefully?” Cat eventually asks, quickly gesturing for Alex to peel more potatoes. 

“She stayed calm and grounded, despite the terrible insults I hurled her way,” Alex sighes, sounding a little uncomfortable. She winces when she continues. “I basically called her a coward and a murderer, you know? I said it was her fault if Kara’s parents were dead and that because of her stubbornness and … misplaced feelings, the man who’d almost killed the last Zor-El alive was gonna walk, free and unpunished.”

Cat doesn’t comment on the ‘misplaced feelings’. Alex mentioning it to her is strong proof of trust, one she doesn’t want to be unworthy of, so she chooses to focus on something else.

“A little rude of you to blame her for Kara’s parents death, I think. I mean, it’s not exactly your place, is it?” Cat frowns, standing up to go retrieve the vinegar and a pot of honey. “Especially since, and stop me if I’m wrong, it’s probably not even true?”

“We don’t know if it’s true,” Alex counters, but when Cat arches an unimpressed bow, Alex grumbles. “Fine, no it’s probably not true and no, it wasn’t my place to bring such painful memories back. Hence the ‘she took it gracefully’ part. She barely even raised her voice. I mean, she did at some point, to tell me that I was too emotional to think rationally. I’ll let you imagine how much it helped …”

“Not at all, I would say. If anything, it’s exactly the kind of thing that would make you go even crazier than you already were …” Cat sasses, knowing it’s exactly how she would have reacted in Alex’s stead. 

“You arrived at that exact moment, to ask for Astra’s help to bring Kara upstairs …” 

Cat nods, remembering the growing voices of both women and how she finally gave up on waiting for a lull in the conversation. 

“What happened next is that she said we’d talk again once I had calmed down and I basically stormed … in, apparently?” Alex chuckles, the sound a little dry and insincere. “Anyway, we didn’t talk again until Andrea and I ran into her while hunting. She was coming toward the ranch and when I asked why, she said she had found Kal and wanted to tell Kara. I explained it would be even better if she actually brought the animal along, so we all went to get Kal and came back. That’s it. ”

“You mean … you haven’t actually apologized?” Cat stares, sounding a little outraged.

“Yet!” Alex half-protests. “I haven’t apologized yet, but I did invite her to stay for dinner, and since Kara didn’t protest …”

“Hm,” Cat says, noncommittally. 

For a moment, both women stay quiet.  
Alex finishes peeling the last few potatoes while Cat adds a tiny spoonful of honey to the sauce she’s been preparing, in a much smaller bowl than the one intended for the salad. Alex takes it upon herself to start slicing the potatoes and Cat goes to find an onion, to add something to the dressing. 

Eventually, Cat breaks the silence.

“You really should apologize, Alex,” Cat says, quietly, calmly. “She did bring Kara back to us, not quite safe and sound, but still alive and that’s all we asked for. Besides, from what you told us, she’s lost a bunch of people in the process … You were rude and harsh to her, you said ugly shit she really didn’t deserve to hear.”

“I know,” Alex nods, agreeingly. “I will. It’s … complicated, between us, but I will apologize.” 

“Good,” Cat smiles, looking at the growing pile of sliced potatoes. “Can you slice them a little smaller? They’ll go into the salad, it’s too hot for me to cook anything and besides, I believe Winn and Carter are planning to barbecue, so that’s gonna be all the cooked stuff we need.” 

“What are they planning to cook?” Alex frowns, focusing on cutting smaller pieces of potatoes.

“Whatever you brought back from your hunting trip, I suppose?” Cat deadpans, chuckling when Alex pauses to give her the finger. “That, or some fish Carter and Lena caught a little earlier in the afternoon.” 

“How is she?” Alex asks, looking up to meet Cat’s eyes.

“Surprisingly good!” Cat says, sounding a little awed. “Carter seems to be a really good influence on her. She’s coming out of her shell more and more these days, still not talking, but laughing and being playful, cheeky even.” 

“Music to my ears,” Alex smiles, looking relieved. “I really didn’t think she’d … heal, not even partially. I mean, I know she still has night terrors sometimes, but they’re a lot less violent, and less regular, than they used to be …” 

“Let’s hope she’ll keep getting better then,” Cat replies, looking at the potatoes. “Alright, good enough. Wash them and add them to the salad, we’ll add the dressing at the last moment.” 

“Yes ma’am,” Alex replies, half-mocking and half-serious.

Cat rolls her eyes and moves to exit the kitchen, to go check on the outside preparations for dinner.

\---

The sun has yet to rise when Cat heads downstairs the next morning.

She yawns a few times on her way to the kitchen, while trying to blink away the sleep from her heavy eyes. After lighting up a few candles, and as she reaches for the pot of coffee, she absentmindedly massages a spot on her left arm, where Kara punched her in her sleep, waking her up in the process. She pours water in the pot and lights a match to turn the oven on, thinking back on Kara’s very agitated night. 

Dinner the previous night ended up with a drinking contest between Lois and Alex, but Kara could have easily joined, given how much alcohol she’d had. In the end, Cat had to ask Carter and Winn for help to carry the gunslinger upstairs to their room, while Lucy and Andrea dealt with a terribly inebriated Lois. Alex, for her part, seemed mostly fine.

Cat yawns again and goes to open the kitchen’s window, hoping the fresh air would help wake her.

Outside, the night is slowly fading away under the first lights of the day.  
A few stars are hanging out around a still visible small crescent moon. It creates a strange blue halo around the world, highlighting the clearer colors and accentuating the dark shadows.

Cat doesn’t notice it right away but, eventually, her eyes stop on the horse standing still in a darker spot of grass, a few steps away.  
Her first instinct is to mentally scold her son for having forgotten to close the stable’s door last night. Everyone in the house knows they’re supposed to be extra careful about the horses, especially after Lois told the story of how she’d had her own mount stolen one night, a few years back.  
Then, she notices how the beast stands out against the relative obscurity of the night, how the blue halo gives his coat an odd and fascinating silver glow. She recognizes the horse as Astra’s, but through her still half-asleep state, she doesn’t realise what it means.

Not until she sees a silhouette, graceful and slender, move through the night, getting closer to the horse. A silver flash pierces the darkness when the dim glow of the moon catches on Astra’s hair.

Cat frowns, having thought the Inze leader would have left right after dinner. She watches, confused and perplexed, as Astra hoists herself on the back of her horse and gently urges Shom forward. Quietly, they head towards the edge of the ranch, straight into the forest, and it’s only when they disappear that realization hits. 

Cat almost gasps out loud, finally understanding what it means for Astra to be leaving before dawn.  
She has to give it to the Inze leader, she’s been extremely discreet. Cat didn’t even hear the bottom steps crack under her weight, nor did she hear the front door open or close. It makes her wonder if Astra used the door, or if, like her niece, she went for a window. 

The sound of water spilling over the pot and meeting the flames underneath brings her back to the moment. She quickly blows on the flames and uses the boiled water to make coffee, lost in her thoughts about Alex and Astra.

Minutes later, the bottom steps at the end of the staircase wince under a human weight, and Cat instantly knows who it is. Sure enough, Alex slowly pads into the room, barefoot and with her hair a mess atop her head. Cat smirks, knowingly so.

“Shut up.”

Alex’s voice is nothing but a raw groan, the kind Lois always uses when she’s hungover.  
Not so fine after all, Cat mentally chuckles. The older Danvers might have drunk Lois under the table, but it still caught up with her in the morning.

“Here,” Cat pours Alex a cup of a very strong, black coffee.

Alex first eyes her suspiciously but eventually, she sits at the table, right across Cat.  
She’s wearing a pair of blue cotton pyjama pants that used to be Lois’ and a white tank top that seems almost yellow, under the candle light. A dark, almost purple spot is showing above her left collarbone. As soon as she notices it, Cat has to force herself to keep drinking her coffee, instead of just laughing out loud at how obvious it was that Alex just got laid. 

“Not one word,” Alex warns, her eyes swirling with a mixture of annoyance, anger and fear. 

Cat instantly sobers up. She can see, as clear as day, how terrified Alex is about the whole situation. The hangover is lingering in the older Danvers’ nutmeg eyes but what makes Cat’s heart squeeze is the infinite worry that dims Alex’s usually fierce and uncompromising temperament.

“I won’t tell. I promise you, I won’t tell anyone,” Cat swears, her voice quiet but solemn. She knows how conflicted Alex feels about her feelings for her sister’s aunt. She can’t understand how hard it must be on her, but she can promise she won’t make it harder. “If you ever need to talk, though … I’m here.”

Alex doesn’t reject her offer, and it’s telling enough. 

Cat nods and absorbs herself in her thoughts, her hands wrapped around her cup of hot coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again,
> 
> A lighter chapter this time, with humor and reunion and FINALLY some actual General Danvers.
> 
> I'm deeply attached to this ship in this fic, so I decided I'll make them my second main ship. There will be more about those lovely (useless gay) ladies. 
> 
> I talk a lot about my fics on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/GaneWhoo) if you want to follow me there but I also have a dedicated tab on my [Tumblr](https://lost-your-memory.tumblr.com/tagged/RDR2-supercat-AU). 
> 
> A reminder that for those of you who played the game, you probably recognized the title but for the other, here's the [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHer-rGfTco)
> 
> Also, good news, I'be been insanely productive lately so we're back on track for the updating schedule, with a new chapter every two weeks on Friday! Not that we ever went OFF track but it feels good to be sure now. I'll try to keep it up until the end!
> 
> _As always, reviews are nice_  
> 


	17. CHAPTER 17

“Drop your gun.”

“Lois, don’t …”

“Drop your gun, sheriff. I won’t ask again.”

Lois moves her rifle, to aim at the man’s head and cocks the gun.   
The metallic sound is as strong as an actual gunshot, and it reverberates in the air like a last warning. 

The scene outside the ranch is tense, heavy with danger. 

Lois, standing in the middle of the road, has her weapon pointed at Sheriff Henshaw’s head while Kara, caught in the middle like a human shield, has one arm trapped in the man’s hand and the other extended toward the older Lane, in a gesture meant to defuse the situation. 

Spread in a semi-circle around Lois, Andrea, Winn, and Lucy are all holding various weapons at the ready, but they’re not aiming. 

Alex is on the ground by Lois’ feet, holding her arm to try to stop the blood from flooding out. 

On the porch, Cat is paralized with terror, her heart pounding frantically in her chest while she holds her breath. 

The sheriff seemingly came out of nowhere, taking everyone by surprise. 

In a heartbeat, he’d snuck up behind Kara as she was coming back from the stables, where she went to see Kal. She’s been doing that a lot lately, traveling back and forth between either the stables or the barn and the house, to develop some muscle in her still healing leg. Sometimes, Carter or Lena would go with her but today, the young boy had stayed inside with the Luthor heiress, Eve and Nia. 

Cat briefly thanks the gods her son hadn’t been here when Hank all but captured Kara in a tight hold, claiming that she was a most-wanted person and that he was to take her to the nearest sheriff’s station.   
She doesn’t think she could have handled that level of fear. 

“Lois, come on. I thought we’d made progress,” Kara tries for a tight smile, her palm open to stop Lois from aiming at the sheriff’s head, right next to hers. “You don’t need to hold me at gunpoint anymore.”

“Not helping,” Lois mutters, eyes flashing with anger and a hint of fear. “I won’t let him take you away.”

“Aww, see! I knew you secretly liked me,” Kara states, smiling a little more genuinely this time. Cat is torn between nervously laughing or yelling at Kara to stop joking around. “He’s the sheriff, though, and I’m an outlaw. He’s within his rights to take me in. Come on. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

“Don’t mind me, I’ll be fine,” Alex groans, a little breathless, as she tries to stand. “Ooof.”

She falls heavily back in the dust, her eyes becoming unfocused, and Winn quickly kneels beside her. In a matter of seconds, he pulls his belt off and uses it to make an improvised tourniquet, but his face is worried when he looks up at Lois.

“She needs Cat,” Winn explains, a little urgency leaking into his voice. “She’s still losing too much blood.” 

“You’re not fine,” Kara nods, slowly. “Winn, Lucy, take her back to the house and have Cat take care of her.”

“You are not going anywhere,” Lois warns, sounding alarmed.

Cat could cry, if she wasn’t so terrorised. She loves these women, with all her heart.   
Her best friend, with her fierce and unyielding loyalty, and Kara, who still manages to joke while being used as a human shield by a man who’d come with the sole purpose of arresting her.

Lucy carefully steps behind her sister to join Winn and help him carry Alex back to the house. Cat watches, still unable to move, as they both try to make the older Danvers stand up, to no avail.

“I didn’t mean to hurt your sister,” Hank suddenly chimes in, sounding a little remorseful. He looks strangely calm, for the number of weapons surrounding him. “I’m sorry.”

“I know,” Kara nods, slowly. “I’m ready to follow you, peacefully, but only if you don’t hurt anyone else.” 

“Come on, not that shit again!” Alex groans, refusing Winn and Lucy’s help to slowly stand on shaky legs. “I swear to God, Kara, just shut up.”

“Rude,” Kara mumbles, with a pout that looks entirely out of place in the current setting. 

Cat feels her heart swell with love, inexplicably so. It’s clearly not the place, and definitely not the moment, but all of a sudden, it’s like she can’t breathe under the weight of her love for Kara. She’s irredeemably crazy about this goofy, kind, and insanely brave woman.   
The very idea that Kara’s about to be taken away makes her heart hurt, a visceral, raw, and physical kind of pain.

“Alright, alright,” Hank suddenly releases his grip on his gun, and lets it slide around his finger. “I’m outnumbered anyway, so I’m going to lower my weapon.”

It takes a handful of seconds for Cat to register the sheriff’s words. It sounds too good to be true, and she’s still terrified something bad is about to happen.   
Eventually though, the realisation hits her at full force and she finally, _finally_ exhales. 

“That’s nice of you,” Kara remarks, a little surprised. “Why? I mean, you could just back up to your horse with me, they wouldn’t shoot ...”

“For fuck sake Kara!” Lois yells. “Stop doing his job for him!” 

Cat almost nods, wholeheartedly agreeing with her best friend and mentally urging for Kara to just shut up. 

“She’s never going to let you go,” Hank nods at Lois with his chin as he slowly puts down his gun, his other hand still wrapped around one of Kara’s arms. “ None of your friends here will let me get away with it. Besides … You’re not at all the woman I imagined you to be.”

“Uh … thanks?” Kara frowns, sounding perplexed.

Cat thinks, and not for the first time, that everyone seems to reach that consensus about Kara, once they meet her.

“You’re too … nice, somehow,” Hank explains as he stands back up, still using Kara as his shield. “All I want is a moment with you, to hear your story. I don’t need to bring you back to the Sheriff’s office for that.” 

Andrea quickly steps forward to retrieve the sheriff’s gun. She doesn’t aim with it but she keeps her own weapon pointed in his direction, eyes intently watching his every move. 

“Sure, I can do that,” Kara nods, using her free hand to gesture for Lois and the others to lower their weapons. As they do, Hank slowly releases his grip on her arm. “I need my crutches, though.”

“Ah, sorry,” Hank apologises, leaning back down to pick up Kara’s wooden helpers. “I assume this was Lord’s doing?” 

“Yes,” Kara nods, retrieving the crutches and using them to step away from the sheriff. “I’m lucky the worst I got is a broken leg.”

The sheriff looks unconvinced, but he doesn’t say anything. He’s still eying the gang, each member having kept a weapon in hand. Alex unsteadily walks up to Kara and uses her good arm to hug her.   
It makes for a strange but heartwarming scene to see the sisters, both badly injured, embrace like this, despite the crutches and the bloodied arm. 

“Come on. Cat needs to take a look at your arm, and I need to talk to the Sheriff,” Kara eventually breaks away, nudging her sister back toward the house. “You can stop clutching your rifle, Lois, he peacefully surrendered.”

Lois, who is still holding her Winchester as if she was about to aim it again, doesn’t seem entirely convinced.

“I knew you liked me!” Kara smiles brightly, taking a few steps toward the older Lane.

“I don’t,” Lois denies, rolling her eyes. “I just don’t want to set a precedent and have people carelessly come and go on our ranch. We’re getting way too many visitors, it’s seriously becoming annoying.”

“I’m not just any visitor,” Hank tries, sounding a little offended. “I’m the sheriff of these lands.”

“So what?” Lois defies, hands tightening on her weapon. “Maxwell Lord is a bounty hunter, supposedly on the good side of the law, and look where that got us.”

Hank opens his mouth, seemingly to reply, but he then decides against it.   
Cat thinks the man is far from stupid, he must have sensed how Lois wouldn’t hesitate to hurt him, all man of law that he was. She’s surprised to see how well the sheriff is handling the situation, despite being surrounded by a good number of outlaws, all of them armed and ready to fire. 

“Whatever you say, Lois,” Kara chuckles, sounding genuinely amused. “I think you just got around to liking me and you didn’t want him, or anyone else, to take me away.”

Cat lets out a sigh, half-aggravated and half-resigned. 

“Either you shut up or I’m shooting you,” Lois warns, her tone betraying how extremely serious she is. “You know I’ve been dying to do so since the moment I met you.”

“How about no one else shoots and we all head over to the house?” Alex chimes in, breathless and struggling to keep standing. “One of us actually got shot …”

Hank Henshaw, lost in the middle of the three bantering women, seems at a loss as to what to think or do. It’s somehow very funny, and it makes Cat smile.

“How is she not dead yet?” Winn mutters next to Andrea, holstering his weapon before moving to Alex’s side. “I swear, she’s practically begging for it at this point.”

“I know,” Alex breathes, finally accepting Winn and Lucy’s help. “If I didn’t love her so much, I’d have shot her a few times myself, so I actually relate with Lois …”

“You’re all mean,” Kara states, following after the trio. “Come along Sheriff, we’ll talk inside.”

Lois falls in step right behind the Sheriff, watching his every move with hawkeye attention. They’re the first to go inside, followed by Andrea. It’s a struggle for Alex, who has to heavily lean on both Winn and Lucy, to walk through the door, and she almost falls twice, but in the end her two friends manage to get her in. 

As Kara finally steps onto the porch, Cat smacks her in the shoulder, hard. It’s as nervous as it is angry, but it’s too strong. Kara, who still sometimes struggles with her crutches, wobbles dangerously.

Instinctively, Cat reaches both hands and wraps them around Kara’s arms, to steady her.

“Listen, I didn’t survive for so long to die falling off the steps of your porch!” Kara chuckles, sounding a little breathless. “What was that for?”

Cat doesn’t even know where to begin.   
Kara’s eyes are blue like a summer sky, gleaming with residual adrenaline, and a hint of honest confusion. It’s both mesmerising and aggravating, and Cat slowly loses herself in the sea of the gunslinger’s irises.   
She doesn’t know how to answer Kara, because she realises it’s just who she is. The gunslinger, whose childhood was already dark and tainted with tragedy, went on to grow up in such a ruthless and hostile world that it’s a wonder she’s still able to smile. Cat marvels everytime Kara laughs, and she can understand why the younger Danvers would defy death with careless humor, after all she’s been through. 

Still, it makes loving her very dangerous, Cat thinks, her heart still racing from all the intense feelings she’s felt in a short amount of time.

“I love you, you idiot!” Cat blurts, all of a sudden.

It says it all. 

It conveys exactly how terrified she feels every time Kara does something reckless or just outright stupid, and at the same time, it tells how powerless she is when it comes to her feelings.   
She just loves this woman, in such a fierce, passionate, and burning way that she’d rather endure it all, all over again, just to be able to have her near. She'll take another endless months waiting for the gunslinger, just to see her smile. She’ll go through as many dangerous and uncertain situations if it means she can keep holding Kara in her arms afterward. She’ll patch her up as many times as she needs to, so she can continue to fall asleep next to her.

She hears the sound of something hitting the floor, right before Kara’s strong arms close around her silhouette.

The kiss is a chaotic thunderstorm.

Kara has never kissed her like this before, like she was the sun, the moon and the whole star-filled sky.   
She feels her whole body burn and burn and burn, head dizzy and heart bursting.

Kara tastes like home.

“I love you too,” Kara murmurs against her swollen lips when they come up for air. 

They’re both breathless, and a little dazzled. Kara’s eyes are stormy, dark and burning, and Cat is pretty certain it’s all reflected in her own irises. The dreamy smile that slowly graces Kara’s lips is too tempting to resist and so Cat doesn’t.

She kisses Kara again, feeling like she could cry of happiness and relief at once.   
She’s never doubted Kara’s feelings, they’ve both been aware of them for quite some time now, but to finally have them out in the open is exhilarating. 

“Ahem.”

Carter’s throat-clearing startles both women and they quickly pull away to look in his direction. 

“Sorry to interrupt, but if you don’t want Alex to bleed out on the couch or Lois to finally shoot the sheriff ...” Carter explains, with a very amused smirk etched on his face. “You should come inside soon.”

He doesn’t look surprised at all, just very amused.   
A sparkle of happiness shines in his blue eyes, but it’s discreet and Cat thinks maybe she should have a talk with him at some point. She figures Lois has already told him a few things, but he should also be hearing them from her.

“Alright,” Kara nods. There’s a blush covering her cheeks and Cat finds it very endearing, but she doesn’t say anything. Her heart is still racing in her chest from the love confession, and the kisses - she’s not thinking straight. “Let’s head inside, no need for Lois to become an outlaw too.”

Kara slowly bends to pick up her crutches and Cat’s suddenly brought back to the present, where Kara is a most-wanted person leading a gang of outlaws, where the sheriff is currently sitting at her kitchen table and probably waiting to bring Kara in. 

“Shall we?” Kara asks once she’s steady on her wooden helpers.

She doesn’t have any other choice. There’s no other option but to go inside and let Kara talk with the Sheriff. 

Heart suddenly heavy with impending doom, she nods and follows after her son and Kara.

\---

“Will you stop squirming, for heaven’s sake!?”

Cat tightens her grip around the older Danvers’ arm, in another attempt to make Alex to sit still. 

“But they’re …”

“The whole gang, plus Lois, are in the kitchen with them!” Cat states, glaring down at Alex. “Hank won’t be able to move one muscle without their knowledge, so please stop fidgeting and let me try to fix your arm!” 

“Come on Alex,” Carter encourages from his spot on the coffee table, right next to where his mother is trying to stitch the rather ugly wound on Alex’s arm. “The sooner you let mom patch you up, the sooner you’ll be able to join everyone in the kitchen.” 

Alex lets out an aggravated sigh but stops trying to turn toward the kitchen. After a beat, Cat starts to puncture the skin around the wound to stitch it back together, purposely ignoring the way Alex swallows and grits her teeth. 

Carter, who doesn’t seem grossed out in the least by the bruised skin, the dripping blood or the gruesome process of stitching a wound, studies his mother’s gestures with rapt attention. From time to time, he even asks a few questions. Sometimes, it’s Alex who answers, her voice a little rough and breathless from fighting against the pain, and sometimes it’s Cat. 

“All good, I just need to bandage it before you go ripping everything with a misplaced gesture,” Cat warns, wagging a threatening finger under the older Danvers’ nose. “Then you’ll need to keep your arm in a sling for a while.”

“What’s a while?” Alex asks, suspicious. 

“Two weeks, probably,” Cat replies, wrapping the wound in a roll of gauze.

“Awww shit,” Alex groans, hanging her head.

“You Danvers sisters, I swear,” Cat mutters under her breath, still loud enough to be heard by both her patient and her son. “I wonder how you managed to survive so long out there. I’ve known you for barely a year and I’ve had to patch you both more times than I care to count!” 

“You’re being rude,” Alex mumbles, clearly a little vexed. “We survived by avoiding everyone, mostly. Until my sister met you, that is ...”

“Now, who’s being rude?” Carter snorts, faking humor, but with a warning in his eyes that tells Alex she shouldn’t push that particular line of conversation any further. “If you’re good, then let’s go hear your sister’s story.” 

Cat, who’d stood still after Alex’ barely veiled accusation, swallows against the lump in her throat and nods. Carter reaches out and pats her arm, offering her a smile before glaring at the older Danvers over his shoulder. He mouths the words “fix it” before moving toward the kitchen, leaving both women in the living room behind him.

“Listen,” Alex says, slowly standing up while carefully holding her injured arm under the elbow, to keep it still. “I shouldn’t have said that. This was me, acting up and I’m sorry. Truth be told, I’m actually glad Kara met you.” 

Cat absentmindedly grabs the piece of cloth she’d ripped off a damaged sheet and ties it around Alex’s neck before gently guiding the injured arm in it.

“You bring out … the best of her, as sappy as it sounds,” Alex explains, nodding her thanks to Cat before continuing. “I haven’t seen her so … herself, in a long, long time, so for that, thank you. Whatever troubles we’ve faced and will face again, it’s all worth it.” 

Cat blinks in surprise, having not expected such a heartfelt, genuine speech from the older Danvers. Especially not after Alex’s rude comment about Cat being mostly responsible for Kara’s troubles lately. 

“Despite it all, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat because I know you’re the reason she’s so happy. So yeah, I’m sorry about lashing out, what I said was unfair and you didn’t deserve it,” Alex finishes with a slightly sheepish smile before heading toward the kitchen.

Cat watches, stunned, as Alex disappears into the kitchen.

Rationally, she knows Alex actually has a point, that Kara’s life became increasingly more dangerous from the moment they met. She’s seen it first-hand, with Maxwell Lord and his men chasing after her and the Inze not sparing Kara, even though she was practically their blood. She distinctly remembers the night when Kara brought back an unconscious and wounded Lois from an Inze ambush, having sustained some injuries herself in the process. Maxwell Lord, the Inze, and even the sheriff, who barged in one day, had been after Kara. She could have run away. She probably should have. She did say so, a few times, Cat recalls. Still. Kara stayed. She stayed and came back, even though it was highly dangerous.

Alex’s words echo in her mind again, ‘whatever troubles we’ve faced and will face again, it’s all worth it.’ Cat knows the older Danvers absolutely meant them, every single one of them. No matter how dangerous it’s been, for Kara’s happiness she’d do it all over again.   
They all would, Cat is certain of it.

The realisation makes a smile bloom across her lips. It settles her doubts and her fears, as well as the little hints of guilt Alex had raised with her first comment. 

Appeased, she takes a deep breath and starts walking toward the kitchen to join the sheriff and the rest of her little mismatched family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Helloooo,_
> 
>   
> How did you like this chapter then? Loads of feelings, some stress, some humor and a cute reveal to boot ... I hope you enjoyed it! I realise it might seems a little short, but the next one will be long and heavy with plot so I figured I could get away with a shorter chapter here.
> 
> I would love to hear from you readers, how you like this fic, how this chapter made you feel, what you think will happen next ... I'm also working on creating a youtube playlist for this fic, if you're interested? 
> 
> You can find me on twitter ( _ganewhoo_ ) or on tumblr ( _lost-your-memory_ )
> 
> _As always, reviews are nice_


	18. CHAPTER 18

Around the table, faces are closed-off, suspicious, or just anxious, all eyes turned to Kara.

She’s sat across from the sheriff at the end of the table, with Lena by her right side. Alex is standing against the wall behind her and flanked by Lois, who never let go of her rifle. Carter, sandwiched between Lena and Winn, is sipping at a glass of milk while glancing at everyone. He seems to be the most relaxed person in the kitchen, Cat notices. For her part, she chose to sit at the very end of the table, between Kara and Hank, because it allows her to view the whole room from her spot. 

“How did you become an outlaw in the first place?”

Hank only sounds curious, but the question hangs in the crowded kitchen, heavy and uncomfortable. It leaves an echo as the words swirl around, not fading away just yet.

Kara suddenly starts to laugh. The sound startles almost everyone in the room, save for Lena. It’s carefree and heartfelt, so out of place in the serious setting and weighted tension that Alex swears under her breath, and Lois instinctively tightens her hold on her weapon.

“Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh,” Kara chuckles once she’s calmed down a little. 

“Something funny?” Hank asks, sounding both annoyed and surprised.

“See, I have a few answers for this question, but I don’t know which one is the right one,” Kara explains, seemingly very amused, smug even.

Cat can’t help but to stare, once again wondering how Kara, who was facing yet another hurdle in a long life of tragedies, could still be so full of joy and life. 

“Really? Well, let’s start with the beginning then,” Hank suggests, tapping his pen against the little notebook he’s placed in front of it. “The first mistake you think made you an outlaw.”

Kara’s smile slowly fades away and Cat knows exactly why.  
She remembers her talk with Alex as they came back from their trip to see Astra, when Alex explained why Kara had to run away from Midvale. It’s something dangerous to say, especially to a man of the law, and Cat suddenly feels very anxious. 

The sheriff, on the other side of the table, is studying the gunslinger’s features with attention. He’s all broad shoulders and defined muscles around the rolled-up sleeves of his crimson shirt, but he somehow manages not to look too imposing.  
He’s quiet and patient, waiting for Kara to answer his question.

“I was eighteen, when I ran away from my hometown,” Kara starts, slowly. Cat glances up at Alex, who is glaring daggers at the sheriff, before focusing back on the gunslinger. “I … had my reasons.”

Hank narrows his eyes at Kara before looking up at the older Danvers behind her.  
Cat finds it impressive that the sheriff doesn’t even blink under the intensity of Alex’ glare. She knows she would have. Eventually, Hank looks down at his notebook and turns back the pages until he finds the one with the right information.

“You ran away because you’d been found in a … ahem … rather compromising position with a … a … woman,” Hank manages to say, stuttering a little but not blushing.

Kara doesn’t look away when he meets her gaze. 

“Would you like to know just how compromising?” Kara asks, defiantly, as a smirk graces her lips. 

Hank shakes his head no, this time not managing to hide his blush.  
Cat bites the inside of her cheeks to stop herself from laughing, and she exchanges an amused look with Lois, who then exasperatedly shakes her head in the background. 

“No need, thank you,” Hank slowly returns to his current page and when he looks up again, he’s regained his seriousness.

“How did you know?” Kara asks after a moment, eying the notebook with curiosity.

“I went to Midvale, a few months ago,” Hank replies, calmly. “I wanted to know more about you, and since I couldn’t find you … I went to the source.”

“You did _what_?” 

Alex sounds angry, but Cat knows better. She’s been around Alex for a while now, she recognizes the slight tremor in her nutmeg eyes, the one that betrays her fears. She can relate, too, because if Hank went that far to investigate Kara, he’s probably a lot more informed than they first thought.

“I met your mother, a charming woman,” Hank nods once, shifting his gaze from Kara to Alex. “She sends her love, by the way.” 

“Who the fuck …”

“Easy, Alex, easy,” Lois grabs the older Danvers by her good arm with one hand and keeps her in place, her other hand still holding her rifle. “Don’t go assaulting the sheriff, it’s absolutely not going to help your sister’s case here.” 

“She’s right,” Hank nods, more vigorously this time, seemingly not too reassured by Alex’s sudden move toward him. He’s nervously eying Lois, who is now holding two weapons: one being her rifle and the other being a very angry Alex Danvers.

“You spoke with Eliza?” Kara asks, her voice almost too quiet to be heard over Alex’s litany of insults.

“I did, yes,” Hank focuses on the gunslinger. “She was the one who told me why you left, actually.”

Kara hums noncommittally, seemingly studying the sheriff’s features, and Cat wonders what it is she’s searching for. Kara’s blue eyes are a shade darker than their usual summer sky color and there’s a calculating edge in them.

“She trusted you enough to tell you that, hm …” Kara eventually murmurs, narrowing her eyes.

It seems to appease Alex, who stops fighting against Lois’ hold. She gently shakes it off and leans back against the wall, eyes intent on the sheriff. She’s still angry, but apparently not enough to want to jump on the man of law, and Cat lets out a quiet but relieved sigh. 

“She did,” Hank says, nervously eying Alex above Kara’s shoulder. “That being said ... I know that in your town, being caught in such a compromising position is a crime punishable by death, and I understand why you ran away, but that certainly doesn’t explain your current status as one of the top ten most-wanted people in the country.”

Kara’s smile is slow and devoid of humor this time.

“I told you there were several answers to your question.”

Kara’s tone is cold and cutting.  
It reminds Cat of their stormy argument right before everything went to hell. It’s a stark contrast with how the gunslinger had acted just minutes ago, all laughter and humor. In this moment, it’s all of Kara’s past that comes out, written in the hardened look in her eyes, squeezed in her hands closing into fists on the table, ingrained in the bitter lines creasing around her mouth. 

“What happened after you left Midvale?” Hank asks, grabbing his pen back, seemingly not bothered by Kara’s change of demeanor. 

“Wait,” Andrea chimes in, from her seat next to the sheriff. “You seem to have a lot of information already … Are you asking questions you already know the answer to? Is this some kind of test to see if Kara’s lying?” 

Behind Kara, both Alex and Lois nod, eyes intent on the sheriff.  
On the other side of the kitchen, behind Andrea, Lucy and Eve stop preparing the coffee to listen to the sheriff’s answer.

“I have some answers,” Hank admits, calmly. “I don’t have everything pieced together though, and that’s why I would like to hear your side of the story, so I can complete my investigation. Moreover, I really want to understand what happened to you.” 

“Why do you want to know my story, Sheriff?” Kara asks, unclenching her fists and moving one hand to gently pat Lena’s forearm next to hers. “You’re a man of law in this land and I’m one of the most-wanted people in the country, it should be a straightforward story.”

Cat immediately tenses, like everyone else in the room.  
Alex starts to squirm next to Lois, behind her sister, and Andrea frowns and crosses her arms over her chest, clearly disapproving of Kara’s words. The sheriff, for his part, doesn’t seem phased. 

“It should be, but like I said, I already have some answers, and they don’t add up,” Hank explains, a slight frown creasing above his eyes. “I don’t understand how or why you became the most-wanted person you are today. I’ve heard the rumors, and I’ve seen the damages left in your wake but, somehow, it doesn’t fit with all I already know of you.”

“Ah, and what do you know of me?” Kara asks, narrowing her eyes at the sheriff.

“I know you’re ready to do everything it takes to protect the people around us,” Hank’s gesture encompasses the gang and the Grant family. “Just as they would probably give their life to save yours, and I suspect some already have …”

Winn lets out a curse under his breath and Andrea turns her head to glare at the sheriff. Nia, Eve and Lucy aren’t much happier, all eyes angrily turned to the man of law.

“Son of a bitch,” Alex mutters behind Kara, anger and loss swirling in her nutmeg eyes. “You know nothing.” 

“I do know some things,” Hank counters, speaking slowly. 

He doesn’t mean to be rude, Cat can tell, but his whole presence is already a threat and it keeps everyone on edge. Alex more than the others. Everything he is and represents is a danger for the gang, for Kara in particular, and none of them know if they can trust him. The fact he seems extremely well informed doesn’t help his case. 

“I just don’t know everything, and I’d like to. If you could tell me your story ...”

“What happens once I tell you my side of the events, and you still deem me a criminal, one you have to arrest and bring to your station?” Kara asks, the nonchalance of her tone betrayed by the sparkle of anxiety in her eyes. “Can you at least promise me you won’t ever go after any of the people in this room?” 

Everyone starts talking at once. Everyone but Kara, Hank, and Lena. 

Alex takes a step forward, a string of curses flowing out of her lips, mostly aimed at her sister. Lois doesn’t move, but Cat hears the distinct “Will you shut up, damnit” that’s meant for Kara as well. Andrea, Lucy and Eve are protesting audibly against the very idea of Kara being arrested, and Winn is already stating he won’t let the sheriff go without a fight. Carter and Nia are echoing the sentiment, saying it won’t happen.  
Cat, for her part, is trying to get Kara’s attention, to tell her to stop saying things like that. 

But Kara isn’t looking at any of her friends and loved ones, Cat notices.  
Her eyes, now of a dark and stormy ocean blue, are intent on the man of law sitting across from her.

“I can promise you that, yes,” Hank eventually says, his voice rising above the others. “Should it come to your arrest, and provided that you come with me peacefully, I won’t ever go after any of your people. I’ll even issue a statement for my successor to leave them alone. Now, I can’t vouch for whoever will come after me, but I give you my word that for as long as I’m alive and in charge, they’ll be safe.” 

The voices around them are but a murmur now. 

Behind Kara, Lois and Alex are angrily whispering and Lucy and Eve are doing the same, though more anxiously, behind the sheriff. Lena, leaning against Kara without quite touching her, seems to be studying the sheriff’s features. It’s not the first time Cat has seen the Luthor heiress do that since they all sat down around the table, but now it seems more calculating, like she had something in mind.

“Alright, Sheriff,” Kara eventually speaks again, effectively quieting the last whispers in the room. “I’ll tell you my story, then.” 

Hank nods, seemingly relieved, and tightens his fingers around his pen, ready to take notes. 

Kara glances above her shoulder to exchange a look with her sister, but Alex only shrugs, clearly still unhappy about the very possibility of Kara being arrested. The gunslinger rolls her eyes and then glances around the room, eyes wandering from face to face. She’s not smiling, but the look in her eyes is steady and calm, resolved. 

“As I said, I left Midvale when I was eighteen, after having been found in bed with a woman. It’s a deadly sin, in that small, Western town, to be different. I didn’t want to end up swinging from a rope in the desert so I ran away and Alex, my hot blooded sister - the one you shot in the arm earlier - wouldn’t take no for an answer, she ran away with me.”

Behind Kara, Alex offers her middle finger and a smirk to the sheriff, who wisely doesn’t react and focuses back on the younger Danvers. 

“At first, we stayed on the Western side of the country, far enough away from Midvale to not be worried about being found out, but still in relatively familiar settings. For two years, we got by just fine. We worked on ranches, in saloons, towns, drove coaches even … A long list of small jobs to keep us going, and earn us some money. Back then, I’d changed my name to Zor-El, but we weren’t too worried about the law actively looking for me, so we could stay in one place for months on end ...” 

As she tries to estimate how long ago that was, Cat suddenly realizes she doesn’t know how old Kara is. She looks at Alex, but it doesn’t help, because she doesn’t know the age difference between the sisters. It makes Cat realize there’s a whole lot she doesn’t know about the woman she’s in love with. 

“Funny thing is, my reputation grew and worsened without me even being aware I had one in the first place. I mean, not outside of Midvale and its nearest towns, anyway,” Kara chuckles, humorlessly. “Turns out, strange things happened after we left, in the places we’d been staying at. It started with petty theft, broken stuff, breaking and entering, some light assault … At first, I was wanted for questioning but then rumors spread and I somehow became an outlaw. It’s all it took to tie all the odd crimes to my name, since I’d been in every place they happened.”

“Wait,” Hank finishes writing his line before looking up, a frown above his dark eyes. “If you weren’t the one behind those crimes, why didn’t you go back to clear your name? You were wanted for questioning … You could have gone into the nearest sheriff station and explained everything. The people, victims of all the small crimes you’ve mentioned, would have testified that it wasn’t you and you could have walked away.” 

“Sure asshole, it’d have been that easy ...” Alex snorts, clearly mocking the sheriff’s intelligence. 

“Alex, language,” Kara mock-chastises, without meaning it. “Come on sheriff. I’m sure you can work this one out.”

“There is a reason they were on the run in the first place, Sheriff,” Carter eventually chimes in, when it becomes obvious the sheriff doesn’t have a clue. “Kara was probably scared of getting arrested for her first crime, I can’t see her walking into a sheriff station just to answer questions about small crimes she didn’t even know were happening ...” 

Winn, sitting next to Carter, nods approvingly.

“See, even Carter gets it, and it’s the first time he’s hearing the story,” Kara smirks, sending a wink toward the young boy before focusing on the sheriff. “I didn’t want to risk anything, and I figured that if we moved farther to the east, the strange rumors would eventually stop. As we crossed the country, I became more careful. I kept away from big towns, stopped working jobs, started using my adoptive name and eventually, I ended up avoiding introducing myself to new people. Somehow, the rumors only grew worse, and mayhem kept happening in our wake …”

“Did you know about Maxwell Lord then?” 

“I had heard of him, but only as one of the many bounty-hunters who were after me,” Kara shakes her head no, jaw clenched and eyes gleaming with anger. “I had never met him though.”

Hank then turns to Winn.  
Cat’s heart drops in her chest. She really didn’t think the sheriff knew so much already, she certainly never imagined he would be aware about Winn’s involvement with Maxwell Lord’s gang. 

“What about you, Winslow?” Hank says, and it’s a direct echo of Carter’s question some weeks earlier, when he wanted to know how Winn came to join Kara’s gang. It doesn’t help the unpleasant feeling of doom in Cat’s stomach. 

“What about me?” Winn holds the sheriff’s gaze without blinking.

“You were one of Maxwell Lord’s men, back then, if I’m not mistaken …” Hank slowly states. “Is that how you first met Kara?” 

“Why are you asking questions you already know the answer to?” Winn asks in return, not giving anything away.

“I’m confirming some of my intel. So?” 

“Yes.”

“Hm,” Hank nods, writing something in his notebook before focusing back on Kara. “This happened before you met Miss Lane here, right?” 

Kara nods, not bothering with voicing her answer. 

“Alright, let’s move forward to the moment it all started to become real …”

A muttered “asshole” comes from behind Kara, echoed by Alex’ “son of a bitch” and Cat relates to the sentiment. Hank’s words suggest that Kara’s story only became real when she met and saved Lucy Lane, which is not only wrong, but deeply insulting.

“Funny,” Kara states, without any trace of humor in either her tone or her eyes. “To you, my story only starts to get interesting after the tragedy at the Olsen manor, right?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Hank shakes his head, finally seeming to understand his mistake. “I didn’t mean to diminish your story up until that point, I misspoke. What I wanted to say is that it’s the tipping point in this story, where Maxwell Lord stopped being a bounty-hunter and openly became a monster.” 

Everyone around the room seems to agree, despite the sheriff’s poor choice of words. 

Cat can’t deny that he has a point, but she wonders if Maxwell wasn’t already a criminal before that specific tipping point. Kara said someone kept causing trouble after her and the only man who seems to have been a constant in their exile is Maxwell. She wouldn’t put it past him, especially after having witnessed his madness first-hand. 

“Fine,” Kara relents, looking up above the sheriff’s head to lock eyes with Lucy. The look they exchange is heavy and Kara seems to be asking something. Cat watches as the younger Lane eventually gives a subtle nod to Kara, some form of permission. 

“It happened about seven years ago …”

Hank nods, seemingly confirming Kara’s timeline.

“Alex was back in Midvale, for our father’s funeral,” Kara sighs, voice heavy with sadness. “She’d been gone barely a week, when I became insanely ill, probably from food poisoning or something similar. The bayou around Saint-Denis is full of weird, dangerous plants and roots, and I was so hungry … it was bound to happen at some point. I was crossing Lucy’s backyard, a little too close to the actual manor, when I passed out. I think I fell from my horse, who’d been startled by something, and the moment I hit the ground I was gone.” 

“I didn’t know who she was, back then,” Lucy intercedes, from behind the sheriff. “She was just a young woman, incredibly pale, shivering from cold, but burning hot with fever, passed out in my flowers. I had some of my workers bring her into the house and I took care of her.”

“I stayed for a while, hidden in the attic because I’d warned Lucy I was being hunted,” Kara smiles, briefly. “Maxwell and his men came while I was healing upstairs, asking about my whereabouts, and she flat out lied to them. She wasn’t alone in the house, there was a cohort of workers because the kitchen was being redone or something …” 

“Not just the kitchen, but that’s beside the point,” Lucy adds, earning a snort from her sister and an amused look from Kara.

“Anyway, Maxwell and his men didn’t do anything in front of the workers, too many witnesses, so they went away. A few days later, I left as well, in the dead of the night, after thanking Lucy for her kindness …” Kara recalls, the memories swirling in her tone as she tells the story. “Three weeks later, I heard about how Maxwell had found one of Lucy’s workers and I knew she wasn’t safe anymore. I raced back, and I thought I was too late. The manor was burning down when I arrived, the shadows of Max and his gangs disappearing on the horizon. There were so many people trying to extinguish the fire, I couldn’t stay for fear of being recognized. I knew about the secret tunnel right under the kitchen though, so I waited until night time to go to the other end of it and I walked all the way until I was underneath the manor, where I found Lucy. She’d jumped from quite a height, broken a leg and a few ribs, but she was alive. I took her with me to a safe place in the bayou, and healed her as much as I could, waiting for Alex to return.” 

“I was gone for less than two months,” Alex chimes in, grumpily. “I’d left Kara to handle herself, and when I came back, all I found was another mouth to feed.” 

“I love you too,” Lucy replies with a mock-smile and a flipping gesture, one that makes Lois chuckle.

“Here’s what I don’t understand,” Hank eventually intervenes, after finishing writing his notes. “Why was Maxwell so intent on finding you, back then? You weren’t in the top most-wanted people, that came later, so why this obsession?”

“No idea,” Kara shakes her head, leaning forward over the table to glance at Winn. “You were with him for a little while, did he say anything about why he was so obsessed with me?”

Winn shakes his head no.

“Nah, he basically brainwashed us by saying you were the devil incarnate, but he never explained why he wanted to capture you,” Winn explains, slowly. “We always thought he was after some kind of record, like he wanted to catch all the bad and most-wanted guys in the country or something …It never occurred to us that it could be personal. At least, not until he burned down the Olsen manor in a fit of rage because you’d escaped ...” 

“How come you’ve been blamed for that, by the way?” Carter suddenly asks, cutting into Winn’s explanation. He leans over the table to look at Kara. “I mean, surely there were some witnesses, that day, when he set fire to Lucy’s home, so how comes it got added to the list of your crimes?”

“There were no witnesses,” Winn sighs. “We didn’t leave any behind.” 

Hank’s pen scratches the paper as he writes, fast but efficiently. 

“Ah,” Carter leans back against his chair, looking thoughtful. “So Maxwell was free to put it on Kara …”

“He’d done it before,” Hank chimes in, without looking up from his writing. “All the small crimes and growing rumors were Maxwell’s doing, from the beginning.” 

Cat isn’t surprised, and from the lack of reaction on Kara’s face, she’s not the only one. Alex doesn’t react either, but everyone else seems outraged by the revelation. Lois, who might have been Kara’s worst detractor once upon a time, now seems ready to go cut the man in tiny little pieces. Lucy is muttering insults under her breath but Eve’s question pierces through the noise and echoes in the room, quieting everyone.

“How do you know?” 

It’s a valid question, Cat thinks, focusing back on the sheriff.  
He’s still engrossed in his notebook, sometimes turning back the pages to go find tidbits of intel to complete his current notes. 

“Maxwell Lord has been after Kara for a long, long time,” Hank starts, still not looking up. “I retraced your steps, on my way to Midvale, and I’ve heard all kinds of stories. At first, everything seemed to point toward Kara. She was the common factor in every town, every place, every person I’ve questioned.”

Around the room, no one speaks. They’re all hanging on every one of the sheriff’s words.

“People remember you, you know,” Hank finally meets Kara’s eyes and offers a small smile. “They all say you’re the kindest person they’ve ever met, and that they wouldn’t have guessed you were such a criminal …” 

Kara grits her teeth but doesn’t say anything. 

“See, I’ve investigated the former sheriff’s death,” Hank explains, carefully choosing his words as he glances toward Lena. “I went as far as finding Samantha Arias, whose daughter saw the actual crime.”

“Crimes.” Kara interjects, coldly.

“Crimes,” Hank corrects himself, nodding along. “My point is, I had doubts about your involvement in that specific scene. It got me thinking about the other crimes tied to your name, so I went to see the ruins of the Olsen manor. After some digging around in the rubble, I found the tunnel. I didn’t know what to make of it at first, but it made me suspect that maybe someone made it out alive, before the house burned down.” 

He pauses and tilts his head to the side, looking thoughtful. The silence in the room is deep and grave, tense. Everyone’s eyes are on him, but Cat notices that both Lucy and Lena are particularly attentive.

“From Ruby Arias’ testimony, I already knew you’d saved Lena Luthor,” Hank gestures toward the woman by Kara’s side, who doesn’t flinch, but narrows her eyes at him. “Thinking you’d also saved Lucy Lane was only logical. Especially since, back then, I had already met Lois. The coincidence of her living with Miss Grant, on a ranch around which you were spotted a few times, was too big, so I reached the only conclusion possible.” 

“Aren’t you smart, sheriff,” Kara smirks, sounding slightly amused but mostly unimpressed.

“I’m diligent,” Hank counters, turning back the pages of his notebook before stopping on one in particular. “See, this is what I call the tipping point. The events at the Olsen manor added arson and murder to the long list of smaller crimes tied to your name. It’s the moment you became a most-wanted person, with the caveat : dead or alive.”

“So?” Kara shrugs, still not impressed by the sheriff’s conclusion.

“It’s also the moment I started to doubt you were the criminal everyone thinks you are.” 

Cat remembers her talk with the sheriff, months earlier, when he asked to have a chat with Kara.  
If she’s following Hank’s story correctly, that particular encounter happened before he went to the Olsen manor, and she now understands why he’s been gone so long. It’s a long trip across the country, to Midvale.

“If I remember well, Sheriff,” Cat chimes in, thinking back on her first meeting with the man of law. “You were after Maxwell Lord, the first time you and I met. He, and him alone, was the focus of your investigation.” 

“He was, but I also told you he was probably the key to a much bigger mystery, one that involved Miss Zor-El,” Hank nods, gesturing at Kara. “That’s why I went to the trouble of crossing the country, of retracing both of their steps. I didn’t know how far this investigation would take me, though.”

“Really? And how far is that, exactly?” Alex growls, from behind Kara.

Hank looks into Kara’s eyes and for the first time since he sat down, he looks hesitant.  
His eyes, deep and dark, gleam with something akin to sadness, and Cat has a feeling that whatever he is about to say is going to do a lot of damage. 

“I told you I went to Midvale, and spoke to your mother. You know she was the one to tell me why you had to run away,” Hank starts, his voice slow and heavy. “I had … a feeling, back then. I started to ask questions, and I dug deeper. It took a while, the townsfolk are very distrusting and hard to crack, but eventually, I got some answers.” 

Kara glances over her shoulder and exchanges a meaningful look with Alex, but Cat doesn’t know what it means. She’s obviously missing a few pieces of the puzzle Hank is laying out in front of them. Around the table, her confusion is mirrored in everyone’s eyes.  
Everyone but Lena.  
Lena’s eyes are surprisingly clear, and for the first time since she’s been staying at the ranch, Cat notices how insanely beautiful they are. They’re neither blue nor green, but a subtle blend of both. For once, they’re not darkened by madness, and there’s a strange clarity instead, bright and sparkling. Cat finds it a little odd, somehow unsettling. 

“Someone snitched on you, told the sheriff exactly where and when to find you, and with whom.” 

“That’s not exactly a surprise,” Kara eventually replies, when the silence around the room becomes a little too tense, deeply uncomfortable. “I mean, no one knew about my … preferences, not even Alex. I’d always been very careful, borderline paranoid, about being discreet, to avoid being caught. The only explanation for the fact that I did get caught was that someone told on me.”

“You never wondered who was the snitch?” Hank pushes, his eyes darkening even more, and worsening Cat’s impending feeling of doom. “I mean, if not even your sister knew, if you’d taken all the precaution you spoke of … how could anyone catch you?” 

Kara frowns, and behind her, Alex does too. 

“Not really, no,” Kara shakes her head. “I always thought it was someone in the village, since they’re all bigots in that town. Maybe I’d been less careful that time, and one of them saw something and ran to the sheriff to denounce me? I mean, I am the daughter of a woman, an indian, who had the audacity to marry one of their own, I wasn’t exactly well liked, you know. The only reason I didn’t get exiled before was because the Danvers legally adopted me, and since they were doctors and well respected in town, I was protected.”

Hank seems to consider Kara’s words, the hesitation deepening in his dark eyes as he starts to fidget a little with his pen. It doesn’t escape Kara, who looks down at the nervous movements of the pen before narrowing her eyes at the sheriff.

“You know something, don’t you?” Kara states more than she asks, and the feeling in the pit of Cat’s stomach rolls and swirls, churns. “Spill. What did you find out?” 

“I know who told on you,” Hank eventually murmurs, his words still echoing loudly in the thick silence of the room. A quiet but collective gasp follows, but no one speaks. “It wasn’t easy, and I don't have any hard proof to bring, but as I said … I dug deeper, I asked questions and collected pieces of answers.”

“For fuck sake,” Alex growls behind Kara, losing her patience. “Stop beating around the bush and tell us who’s the snitch.” 

Hank slowly closes his notebook and places the pen atop it, seemingly trying to gather either his words or some courage, or both. He suddenly looks older. The creases on his face grow deeper in the fading light of the late afternoon, and he lets out a heavy sigh.

“It was Maxwell Lord.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloo there,
> 
>   
> Heavy talks, wasn't it? Big revelation to boot, though at this point I think everyone pretty much already knew!
> 
> This is one of the last big tipping points in the fic.  
> Everything that happens next with lead to a denouncement and then a true end, to which I will add an epilogue. I don't know how many chapters I have left to write because I'm planning on having some fun with the characters, which will allow me to tie some lighter plots as well. My guess is that this fic will be over in less than 10 chapters, so for those of you who are emotionally invested ... get ready.
> 
> I also curated a [playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLqecYZRdo87WS9jzZyuxKKxjDuYv4srJ) for this fic!  
> It has a bit of everything, songs I listen to while writing, songs or musics I use for inspiration and then songs that fit the general mood/themes. It's a bit heavy with game soundtracks & OST, cause I find it helps me write but there's a few gems to.  
> I would love to hear your feedback on it!
> 
> You can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/GaneWhoo) and I also have a dedicated tab for this fic on my [Tumblr](https://lost-your-memory.tumblr.com/tagged/RDR2-supercat-AU)
> 
> _As always, reviews are nice!_  
> 


	19. CHAPTER 19

“Let them go,” Lois says, shaking her head at Cat.

“But …”

“They need time and space right now,” Lois explains, slowly. “You won’t be able to help, so just let them go. They’ll come back.” 

“She’s right,” Lucy chimes in from the other side of the room, her eyes still a little wide from the shock of the sheriff’s revelation. “It’s … a lot to take in.”

Hank, who’d sat still as Kara stormed out, instantly followed by Alex, simply nods 

Cat reluctantly sits back down, her heart going out to the Danvers sisters and the emotional turmoil they must be going through. She’s itching to go find Kara, but she knows Lois has a point that she won’t be able to help in any way.  
She glances at Kara’s crutches, laying on the floor. Kara had been so angry and so emotional that she’d managed to leave the room without any support. Cat mentally winces at the stress this will put on her still broken leg.

“It’s a hard truth to hear,” the sheriff adds, glancing around at everyone else in the room. “I can’t pretend to understand, but for Miss Zor-El to suddenly learn that Maxwell Lord is the one behind everything she’s been through …”

“Yeah, I bet it’s a lot,” Lois agrees, finally setting down her rifle next to her. She’d been holding on to it since Hank tried to kidnap Kara. “Alright, what else do you know?”

“Actually … not much,” Hank replies, frowning a little. “Mostly, I have a lot of questions. Most of them are for Miss Zor-El and Miss Danvers, but not only.” 

Lois comes forward and takes Kara’s place at the table, right across from the sheriff. 

“I can’t speak for them, but I think you can go ahead and ask,” Lois says, looking around to confirm with the gang. 

Everyone seems ready to answer the sheriff’s question, Cat notices, and it warms her heart to see they’re all standing behind the Danvers sisters, in their own way.

Hank slowly starts to turn to face Andrea.

“You’re Andrea Rojas, aren’t you?”

Andrea frowns and narrows her eyes at him but before she can ask, Carter does.

“How do you know?” 

Hank turns the pages of his notebook and extracts a folded piece of paper from somewhere near the beginning. Slowly, careful to not damage it, he unfolds it to show the rest of the room.  
It’s from a Mexican newspaper, and though it’s written in Spanish, the side by side black and white pictures under the headline are telling. On the left, it’s a family picture with people posing for it, wearing fancy clothes and showing their best behavior. The men are serious and the women are smiling. On the right, it’s a picture of a graveyard, with crosses atop mounds of dirt. Cat can’t count but she would bet there are at least as many crosses as there are people in the other picture.

“I recognised you from this picture,” Hank explains, placing the piece of paper onto the table and sliding it across, to let Carter have a better look at it. “I wasn’t sure at first, but now I am. Your accent kind of gave you away, too.”

Andrea doesn’t look down at the newspaper. Instead, she keeps her eyes intent on the sheriff. Her face doesn’t betray anything, and the look in her blue eyes is neutral, unreadable. 

“What happened to you?”He pauses and then frowns, realizing how vague his question must sound. “I mean, how did you survive?”

Cat has wondered about it a few times herself, but she’s never wanted to intrude.  
It’s only logical the sheriff would go for it, not bothering with intruding or basic politeness. He’s here to understand the story of the gang, how they’re all tied to Kara, so of course he’s going to ask everything.  
She plants one elbow on the table and leans her chin on the palm of her hand, to listen to the answer.

At first, Andrea doesn’t reply. She doesn’t even react, Cat notes. Like Kara moments earlier, she seems to be searching for something in the sheriff’s face. Maybe a sign that he can be trusted, or maybe she just doesn’t want to tell her story. It would be her right to keep silent, but Cat finds herself hoping she’ll share, especially if it can help Kara.

“Eh, it’s a good question,” Andrea eventually tilts her head to the side, eyes already growing distant. 

“Alright. I’m going to tell you my story, sheriff, but you have to let me talk without interrupting,” Andrea sighs, and Hank nods without even trying to contest her conditions. “I’ll answer your questions later.” 

Again, Hank grabs his pen and glances down at his notebook, ready to write everything. 

“I come from an old Mexican family, the Rojas’,” Andrea starts, her voice low and quiet. “My father was an extremely famous and successful businessman, but he was ahead of his time. He had ideas and designs not many people could understand, and as he kept developing them, people in our lands grew suspicious. He made a lot of enemies over the years, but his fortune, and his ties with the Indians, kept him safe.”

Cat finds herself hanging on every word, like the sheriff, Carter, and Lois.  
They’re the only people who haven’t heard the story before, but the other members of the gang are still listening respectfully.

“We were living on a corner of land that looked like paradise; in a beautiful, large hacienda with stables and the like. My family was big, loud, my uncles, my aunts, my cousins, my grandmother even lived with us and life was good. I was to be married to an American gentleman within the year, a man named Russell, but I didn’t know him much. My father had arranged the marriage, it was a business decision.”

Next to her, Lois looks up and Cat catches the glance she exchanges with Carter. She wonders what it is about, but Andrea starts talking again.

“Then, one hot, summer night, a lone cowgirl came galloping into our courtyard and asked for help,” Andrea smiles, sounding somehow fond despite the impending tragedy looming in her tone. “Alex was covered in dirt, dust, and sweat, but she had that fierce and unrelenting aura that made my father bend and offer his help. She led him back to a ditch on the side of the road, a couple miles away from our property, and showed him another woman. He recognized her from all the most-wanted posters plastered everywhere along the frontier, on your side.” 

“No way,” Carter breathes, his eyes wide and intent on Andrea. 

“Kara was in really bad shape that night. A gunshot to her side, severely dehydrated, suffering from a terrible fever, she was hallucinating when my father and two of my uncles carried her inside the house and into a room. I helped my mom to take care of her, tending to her wound, forcing her to drink, pressing a damp cloth to her forehead …”

Cat idly wonders, again, just how many times Kara’s been shot.  
In every story involving the gunslinger, she’d been either very ill, severely injured or blatantly shot, or all three at once. That’s only the stories, since Cat has already patched Kara up more than once. 

“Your family wordlessly took in and helped a most-wanted gunslinger, just like that?” the sheriff asks, interrupting Andrea’s tale. Everyone in the room seems to growl, Cat included, and he raises his hands in a gesture of peace, quickly issuing an apology. “Sorry, I interrupted. Carry on.” 

“Well, in my country, on that side of the frontier, she wasn’t a most-wanted gunslinger. Besides, my family always took pride in helping those in need,” Andrea replies, her tone a little short as she shoots a glare at the man of law. “Also, I think my dad was very impressed by Alex’s courage and resilience. It took two weeks for Kara to get better, and during that time we got to know her and her sister. They never told us their story, but we all guessed there was more to it than what the rumors said. My mother was very fond of Kara ... ”

The affection in her tone is painful to hear, because everyone in the room knows what happened to her family. It had been covered for weeks on end, in every newspaper across the country, and even beyond.

“Eventually, they left and I remember ... I kept thinking I would see them again. I just didn’t know our next encounter would be so tragic.”

This time, the sadness in Andrea’s voice is audible, thick.

“A week later, Maxwell Lord and his men barged in and started asking us to hand over Kara Zor-El to him. My father straight out refused, not even trying to deny the fact Kara had been there earlier. At first, we thought Maxwell would just go away, but then he started burning down farms and properties on our lands, making our people run away …” Andrea pauses a moment, takes a breath and starts again. “My father asked for help from his Indian friends, but Maxwell killed the assault-group sent his way and after that, the Indians refused to take part in the conflict. It escalated until one night, he came back to our property, with a small army on his side..”

The silence in the kitchen is deafening when she stops. 

“They destroyed everything in the house, plundering and looting what was of interest while Maxwell tortured and killed the members of my family, one by one, after they refused to say where Kara was. I can still hear the screams …” 

Andrea stops, her eyes blinking away a few tears. When she looks up, she seems to realize how young Carter is because she shakes her head and forces a smile.

“He didn’t do a good job with me though. He tried to use me to get the information he wanted from my family but they didn’t know, and they wouldn’t have told him even if they did. I must have passed out at some point. Hours later, I woke up on a galloping horse in Alex’s arms, Kara on our heels.” 

“She came back …” Carter chimes in, sounding in awe.

“She did,” Andrea nods, softness lacing her tone this time. “I admit, I wasn’t exactly happy to see her, back then. I blamed her for everything, and I said horrible, horrible things.”

Cat could understand and relate, in some ways. 

“In the end, I still joined the gang,” Andrea smiles, looking at Cat with a knowing glint in her eye. “I never regretted it.” 

Winn reaches past Carter and squeezes Andrea’s hand.  
Nia stands up and goes to find the coffee pot. As she pours a cup for Andrea, she drops a kiss atop the woman’s head. Lucy, the only person who refused to sit down around the table, comes forward to squeeze her friend’s shoulder.  
Andrea doesn’t say anything but she smiles, sadness still lingering at the corners of her eyes.

Cat marvels at how the gang quietly takes care of Andrea. It’s natural and easy, they don’t even need to talk. There’s a form of intimacy amongst these people she can’t quite comprehend so she observes from the outside and wonders about the ones who died in the assault, like Alex’s best friend. 

She doesn’t ask, though. She knows she won’t get an answer, not with Hank here.  
None of the people in the room trust the sheriff, who’s been steadily taking notes as Andrea told her story. 

After a few moments, Carter eventually calls for the sheriff’s attention.

“What do you make of this?”

Hank looks up from his notebook and blinks, a little surprised by the teenager’s question.

“Of what?”

“Their stories,” Carter insists, with a flourish of his hand that has Cat smirking. “You now have most of the answers you’ve been looking for, right?” 

“Oh,” Hank breathes, finally understanding what Carter means. He reaches out to retrieve the newspaper, folding it and slipping it back in his notebook. “I do, though I still need some answers to complete my information. So far, I just know for sure Kara saved two people, maybe a third but I’d like to hear it directly from you.”

He shifts his gaze from the young boy to Lena, who holds it without flinching.

“She doesn’t talk,” Carter warns, scooting closer to the Luthor heiress.

His attitude is protective and fierce, Cat notices, and she sees Winn, on the other side of her son, narrow his eyes at the sheriff. Everyone else in the room imperceptibly moves closer to Lena, and Cat is a little stunned when she realizes why. They’re not afraid she’ll be triggered and act out, no. They don’t fear her madness and agitation. They just want to shield her from the sheriff, from his words and the memories he’ll no doubt awaken with his questions. They all want to protect her. 

“What do you mean?” Hank frowns, his eyes traveling back and forth between Lena and Carter, sitting side by side in front of him.

“He means Lena doesn’t talk anymore,” Lois says, turning her head to look at the Luthor heiress, who’s still eying the sheriff. 

“She never has, for as long as she’s been with us,” Lucy adds, and it’s obvious she’s being careful not to say too much. “The day Kara brought her back to the camp, she was … unconscious. From the moment she woke up, a few days later, she never spoke. Not one word.” 

“I’m sure you can understand why,” Lois focuses back on the sheriff. “I mean, even Ruby Arias got the idea.” 

Cat watches as a sparkle of understanding finally shines in Hank’s dark eyes. 

They’re all being cautious, talking in circles and innuendos around Lena, but what they’re not saying still hangs in the air. Cat remembers, all too well, the horror she’d felt when the sheriff first told her about what Ruby Arias saw, the shadows, the laughs, the screams, and pleas before the deafening silence. The girl, younger than Carter, had unfortunately been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it would undoubtedly leave indelible scars on her soul.

“I still need to know what happened to her brother,” Hank eventually says, as quietly as possible. “Without an actual testimony, from at least one reliable witness, I can’t completely rule out the possibility that Kara is actually behind Sheriff Luthor’s murder.” 

He looks genuinely sorry, Cat notices. The look in his eyes is sad and compassionate, and it conveys how much he would rather not find himself in this position. No one says anything after that and though Lois frowns in discontent, for once she doesn’t insult the man of law.

“I’ll tell you what I saw,” Kara chimes in from the kitchen doorway.

She still looks angry, eyes dark and stormy, but her voice is calm and neutral.  
Behind her, Alex exchanges a quick look with Cat, imperceptibly shaking her head no. Cat understands what it means, that Kara won’t accept any external help or comfort. Not yet, anyway. 

Lois stands up and gestures for the gunslinger to return to her place in front of the sheriff. Kara takes a step forward and then winces, letting out a pained curse as she wobbles. Cat has to will herself not to reach out, knowing Kara would immediately reject her assistance, but it makes her heart squeeze in her chest to see the gunslinger suffer like this. 

Eventually, Kara recovers her balance and slowly comes to sit down next to Lena, to whom she offers a gentle smile.  
At the same time, Cat feels a leg gently press against hers under the table, but Kara doesn’t look at her. She understands, because while the sheriff knows about Kara’s past, he doesn’t know about hers. Kara’s discreet and subtle gesture is her way to say she’s here and she’ll protect her, and it overwhelms Cat in a way she can’t fully understand nor express. It’s solid and tender at once, it’s all she’s been craving for so long and it’s a marvel that Kara, who never really had any meaningful relationships before, instinctively knows how to give her that. 

Unable to say anything under the full weight of her feelings, Cat simply presses back.  
She hopes it’s enough to convey how much she loves Kara, how grateful she is for the attention too. 

“We’ll tell you Lena’s story,” Andrea adds, next to the sheriff, exchanging a quick look with Kara. “What we gathered, anyway.”

Lucy, Nia, Eve and Winn nod along, all focusing on the man of law and sometimes glancing at Lena.

“Before you do,” Lois interrupts, looking at Carter. “You should step outside, Carter.”

Carter’s first reaction is to protest, but Cat cuts him short by agreeing with Lois.

“She’s right,” Cat states, clearly conveying she won’t stand any protest. “You already know everything anyway, and you absolutely don’t need to hear the specifics.” 

“But mom …” Carter tries, only for Kara to go along with Lois and Cat.

“Come on, buddy,” Kara smiles, softly, looking Carter in the eye. “I know you want to stay, I know you want to be there for Lena, but this is not something you should hear, especially not in detail.” 

“I’d rather he stayed.”

At first, no one registers it. Lois opens her mouth to protest and Cat frowns in disapproval while Carter smirks, a little smuggly.

The loud sound of a mug falling and rolling onto the table gets their attention, and they instantly look at Winn. The cowboy, however, is not looking at them. His jaw is wide open in shock, and his eyes seem to bulge out of their sockets. On the other side of the room, Nia and Eve gasp and raise a hand to cover their mouths, shock also painting their eyes. Lucy drops the empty coffee pot, and it clatters on the floor, the noise being the only sound echoing in the room. Andrea blinks in surprise, her own eyes intent on Lena, who simply closes her mouth and looks up at Carter, who was already halfway up.

For a split second, time stops. Then ...

“What the …”

“Did she …”

“Oh my god!” 

The variety of noises and loud voices causes Lena to visibly startle. Instinctively, she scoots closer to Kara, but as she does, she also reaches a hand to hold onto Carter’s forearm, keeping him close.

“Easy everyone,” Kara warns, leaning toward Lena to offer her support while being careful not to invade her space. “Sorry Lee. We’ve never heard you speak before, so it took everyone by surprise. They didn’t mean to scare you.” 

Lena nods, eyes darting everywhere in the room to watch everyone’s face.  
The gang members, despite their shock and obvious emotion, are all smiling. Winn is not even trying to hide the tears rolling from his eyes and Eve is basically sobbing, but their smiles are genuinely happy and kind, like Lucy, Nia, Andrea and Alex. Kara smiles, too, and hers is blinding and full of joy. 

Lena smiles back, hesitantly, before focusing back on the sheriff, who watched the scene without saying anything. He looks surprised too, but he can’t possibly understand what just occurred and his smile is a little placated.

“I’ll tell you,” Lena starts again, her voice low and raspy, raw from disuse. Her words have a slight, but audible Irish accent, it makes her sound oddly deep. “ … what you want to know.”

She swallows and the gesture makes her wince. She’s obviously struggling to speak.  
All Cat can do is stare, because she can’t quite comprehend what just happened. She knows how meaningful and impactful it is, but her mind is still caught on the fact Lena just spoke, for the first time since she was saved by Kara. 

Without a word, Lucy places a glass of water in front of her, bringing a full pitcher just moments later. 

“Carter stays,” Lena adds and this time she looks at Cat. 

Her eyes are translucent and clear, insanely so.  
From the corner of her eyes, Cat sees that Lois is about to protest so she raises a hand to stop her friend. She understands where Lois is coming from, her own maternal instincts are screaming the same thing, but Carter isn’t a little kid anymore. He’s involved in the situation, whether they want it or not. He’s heard everything already, he’s been a part of this before they could even try to protect him. Maxwell Lord, of all people, held him at gunpoint to try to get to Kara.

“He can stay, Lois,” Cat sighs, surrendering under Lena’s piercing gaze. 

She implicitly knows that Lena doesn’t want to hurt Carter.  
She’s seen how much Lena came to care about the young boy. As time flew by, Lena started to rely on the young boy, opening up more and more around him. He became the second person to be able to reach her, after Kara, and it means something that Lena just spoke for the first time to ask for him to stay. 

“She needs him to stay,” Cat explains, glancing up at her friend. 

Lois looks unimpressed and unconvinced, but then Carter gently pulls on her sleeve with his free hand and a whole conversation takes place in the look they exchange. Carter is pleading with his eyes, looking more mature and more adult than he’s ever looked before, and Lois eventually relents.

“Fine,” the older Lane mutters, turning around to join Alex, who’s leaning back against the wall next to the door.

“Thank you,” Lena murmurs, eyes still intent on Cat. The shadow of a smile graces her lips but it’s gone in a second as she shifts her attention to the sheriff.

“I cant promise …” Lena whispers, after taking a sip of water. “That I will be able to tell you … everything. But ... I’ll try. Ask away.” 

Hank nods understandingly. 

Winn retrieves his mug and starts to clean up his mess, as quietly as possible. Lucy picks up the coffee pot and places it into the sink before coming to sit at the other end of the table, across from Cat. Eve pulls a chair from against the wall and sits next to her, with Nia on her other side. Only Lois and Alex are left standing, right behind Kara. 

Once everyone has settled down, after Carter and Kara had both offered a kind, encouraging smile to Lena, Hank starts to ask questions.

\---

The sun is lowering on the horizon and the world seems to be nothing but shades of gold and honey. It’s still warm outside, almost hot even, but the incoming night brings a very soft, almost imperceptible breeze to the land, one that delicately shakes the leaves, the flowers, and the blades of grass.

“So, what do you think sheriff?” Kara asks, carefully handling her crutches to step down from the porch.

Hank follows after her, putting his hat on top of his head with one hand while the other holsters the gun Lois just gave back to him. 

“I think I have everything I need,” he says, falling in step with the gunslinger. “Thank you, for telling me your story, and for allowing me to hear the ones of your gang.” 

“Well, we didn’t exactly have a choice, but sure,” Kara comments, heading toward the sheriff’s horse near the stables. “That’s not what I asked, though.”

Hank chuckles, the deep sound swirling in the warm evening before fading away. 

“Come on, Miss Zor-El, you’re alone with me out here,” the sheriff points out. “It probably means your people, so fiercely loyal, must have trusted me not to arrest you in the few steps it takes me to join my horse.” 

“I think you misunderstood, sheriff,” Lois shouts from behind them, her trusted rifle back in her hands. “We still don’t trust you.”

She’s standing on the porch, near the steps, and the look on her face is determined. Behind her, Alex and Lucy are closely watching, but they don’t seem to have any weapons on them. 

“It’s alright Lois. I’d like to talk with the sheriff alone,” Kara slowly turns around, offering a smile to the three women. “He’d have told us, if he wanted to arrest me. He promised, and I trust his word.”

“You might be the only one,” Hank mutters under his breath, nervously looking at the rifle in Lois’ hands.

Kara chuckles, amused by the comment, before looking at her sister, behind Lois’ shoulder.

“Fine,” Alex relents, shaking her head. “Let’s go back inside. I think Cat needs help with dinner anyway.”

“Is that a jab at my nonexistent cooking skills?” Kara frowns, narrowing her eyes at her sister.

“Is it?” Alex smirks before disappearing inside the house, followed by a laughing Lucy.

“You gonna be alright?” Lois asks, still eying the sheriff with determination.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Kara nods, a smile gracing her lips. “Probably better than if I have to go inside and help with dinner.” 

“You have a point,” Lois agrees, matter-of-factly. “Alright. Don’t be too long, or I’ll come back, and this time I’ll shoot.”

Lois goes back inside and Hank turns to face the gunslinger.

“She didn’t say which one of us she’ll shoot, though …”

“My guess? Probably both,” Kara laughs before turning back around, resuming her journey toward Hank’s horse. “She’s rough around the edges, very blunt, and she takes no shit from anyone. I’m still not sure she likes me too much, after everything I’ve put her family through …”

“I’d say she likes you very much,” Hank counters, falling back in step with Kara. “She was practically ready to kill me to prevent me from taking you away.” 

It’s clear, in his voice, that he believes Lois to be the person Kara is here for.  
It makes some sort of sense, Kara thinks, especially given how intent Lois has been about not letting her go. On multiple occasions today, Lois has both said and demonstrated how much she wanted Kara to stay. Sure, she did it through dark humor and sarcasm, but to someone like Hank, it must have looked like telling signs for something deeper.  
Kara stays quiet, choosing not to correct the man of law. She knows he’s not going to do anything about it, especially since he’s aware of her own preferences and didn’t seem to care. It also takes some of his attention off Cat, so she’ll take it.

“I believe you and your people,” Hank eventually says, his voice quiet and calm. “Now that I know you’re innocent, I’ll start spreading the news around, start clearing yours and the gang’s name.”

“That could take a long time,” Kara comments, aware of her terrible reputation, and the insane number of people still after her. “It’s a noble goal, but I doubt you’ll manage to do so.” 

“I’m a sheriff, a man of the law, and I have connections. It will take time yes, but your name will be cleared” Hank states, sounding like he’s already made up his mind. “I’m more concerned with Maxwell Lord still being at large. He’s been after you since the very beginning, since before you even left your hometown. I don’t understand why, but I doubt he’ll stop coming after you just because your aunt defeated his men.” 

“I know,” Kara nods, letting out a deep sigh. “He’s going to resurface, and he’ll come after me again, he probably will until one of us dies. It’s only a matter of time now.”

“I’d rather capture him alive, but if it comes to that … no mercy,” Hank states, practically growling the last two words. 

“Hm,” Kara nods, noncommittally.

Something in the sheriff’s tone and posture makes her wonder about his own history with the bounty-hunter. She thinks maybe Maxwell Lord somehow wronged the sheriff in some personal way. Maybe he just went too far by killing the former sheriff, and now Hank takes it very personally. Maybe it’s something else entirely, but she doesn’t ask.

“So what now?” She muses instead, as she comes to a stop a few steps away from the horse. “What should I do?”

Hank calls for his mount and when the horse comes trotting his way, a happy smile graces his lips. The animal is rather small and when the sheriff, large and imposing, hoists himself on the saddle, he seems to dwarf the horse even more. 

“You just enjoy being alive, Miss Zor-El,” Hank answers from his horse. “I’m going to get started on clearing your name, but if I were you, I’d wait a good couple of months before showing up in any nearby towns, just to be safe. It’s gonna take a while to get the bounty-hunters and the law off your back, so in the meantime you just take care of that healing leg of yours.”

Kara frowns, unconvinced.

“Miss Zor-El,” Hank calls, holding off his horse and causing the animal to paw the ground in protest. “For once in your life, you don’t have to run. If I were you, I’d enjoy it.”

He raises a hand to his hat and touches the edge with two fingers as he nods, before releasing the tension on the reins and urging his horse forward. Kara watches as he goes off into the sunlight, his crimson shirt barely noticeable on the golden horizon. 

She hears the echo of his goodbye swirl in the warmth as dust starts to rise behind him, drowning his silhouette in a cloud of pale gold. 

“So long, Miss Zor-El.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!
> 
>   
> I hope you liked this update, it ties a few loose ends and it wraps the LONG-ASS scene with Hank! So many revelations, so many MOMENTS, I really hope you liked it all!
> 
> Next chapter is a full Cat x Kara scene, don't worry. It should be a little easier from now on, until I spring some plot twist on you ( _that you won't see coming, of course ..._ )
> 
> Friendly reminder that I have a [playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLqecYZRdo87WS9jzZyuxKKxjDuYv4srJ) for this fic, one I keep updating as I write! I'd love to hear your thoughts about it, if you've had a chance to listen to it ...
> 
> You can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/GaneWhoo) and I also have a dedicated tab for this fic on my [Tumblr](https://lost-your-memory.tumblr.com/tagged/RDR2-supercat-AU)
> 
> _As always, reviews are nice_


End file.
